Geo-Strategic Trend - 6. page

Chinese-produced caviar is making significant inroads into the luxury food market, with China now the world’s largest exporter of this premium ingredient. According to a year-end report by French news radio Franceinfo, large-scale sturgeon farms in China continue to expand rapidly.

Chinese caviar is sweeping global markets, gradually replacing French and Iranian products on gourmet tables worldwide. In Paris, premium caviar brand Kaviari was among the first to recognize Chinese products’ potential. Chinese caviar prices range from 3,000 to 9,000 euros ($3,150 to $9,450) per kilogram, comparable to French caviar, with a 250-gram box selling for 825 euros ($866). One customer described it as a market leader, stating that it meets all caviar expectations regarding size, texture, and taste, with the sturgeon’s origin being irrelevant.

Initially, brands faced the challenge of convincing skeptical customers. Today, half of France’s Michelin-starred chefs source from China. Kaviari’s managing director Karin Nebot admits they can now confidently disclose the Chinese origin without hesitation.

China’s dominance stems from massive production capacity. Nearly half of global caviar consumption originates from China, where farms continue proliferating. At the largest facilities, sturgeon are fed multiple times daily and require up to 25 years to produce eggs.

Chinese companies have become market leaders, producing 200 tons of caviar in 2024. Kaluga Queen, a leading Hangzhou-based brand, aims to increase French sales by 15-20 percent in 2026. Originally operating as an OEM supplier to French, Swiss, and American brands, Kaluga Queen now markets directly under its own label after gaining recognition from top international chefs, including the late Joël Robuchon.

Geopolitical factors have disrupted traditional Iranian and Russian caviar trade routes in recent years. Within just a decade, China has secured its position as the world’s top caviar exporter, with this luxury delicacy’s core technology and production now concentrated in Chinese facilities.

Source: Radio France International, January 2, 2026
https://rfi.my/CJgd

Digital transformation represents a cornerstone objective of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Through high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, China-Africa collaboration in the digital economy has expanded significantly in recent years, spanning infrastructure development, e-commerce platforms, and digital talent cultivation.

In Botswana’s capital Gaborone, the China-built National Data Center stands as the country’s first facility of its kind. Constructed by Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation, the center began operations in June 2024 after three years of development. Project manager Zhu Yahan explained that the facility accommodates high-performance servers meeting large-scale data storage and transmission needs for government and commercial users. The center features triple power redundancy through municipal supply, emergency backup, and diesel generators ensuring uninterrupted operations. According to Sethogo Segoale, CEO of Botswana Fiber Networks, the center’s operation has transformed the local information technology ecosystem, enabling faster and more cost-effective data exchange for internet users while advancing national digitalization efforts.

Kenya’s e-commerce landscape has been revolutionized by Kilimall, China’s pioneering internet platform in Africa. Operating for over a decade across multiple African countries, Kilimall serves 8,000 sellers through 12,000 stores and 1,500 community pickup points, with app downloads growing fifty percent annually. The platform’s proprietary logistics and payment systems have enhanced consumer experiences significantly. Kenyan furniture seller Kariuki credits Kilimall’s prepayment system for enabling him to sell 300-400 products monthly across different regions.

Meanwhile, China is cultivating Africa’s digital workforce through initiatives like Rwanda’s Luban Workshop. Students receive practical training at Zhejiang’s Jinhua Vocational and Technical University, learning e-commerce management, data analysis, and live-streaming techniques. The workshop’s technical standards have been incorporated into Rwanda’s vocational education system. Former South African diplomat Grobler notes that China’s comprehensive approach—from building infrastructure serving 700 million users to hosting ICT competitions and e-commerce training camps—continuously empowers Africa’s digital transformation journey.

Source: People’s Daily, January 3, 2026
https://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/pc/content/202601/03/content_30128998.html

Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) recently reported that, as the Russia-Ukraine war enters its fourth year, the threat level in the space arena has risen again. Intelligence agencies in two NATO member states suspect that Russia is developing a new anti-satellite weapon primarily targeting Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite constellation. This weapon is not intended for a single target, but rather to cripple Western space superiority over a wide area by releasing a devastating cloud of shrapnel.

Intelligence documents revealed that this weapon, dubbed “zone-effect,” is planned to release hundreds of thousands of high-density microparticles in orbit. These particles may be released by a constellation of small, yet-to-be-launched satellites, and once deployed, they would simultaneously disrupt multiple Starlink satellites, severing the communication and guidance links that the Ukrainian army relies on for survival on the battlefield. These deadly particles are only a few millimeters in diameter and are virtually undetectable by existing ground-based and space-based radar systems, making tracing accountability extremely difficult. This is different from the anti-satellite missiles previously tested by Russia. However, the newly developed “zone-effect” weapon has a wider kill radius and is more difficult to defend against.

Analysts have questioned the practicality of this weapon. Such indiscriminate attacks could trigger an out-of-control chain reaction, potentially destroying not only Starlink but also Russia’s own satellites and those of its allies, like China. Starlink orbits at an altitude of approximately 550 kilometers. Over time, debris will fall into the Earth, threatening China’s Tiangong space station and the International Space Station (ISS) – both operate in lower orbits.

Source: LTN, December 22, 2025
https://def.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/5286318