China in Africa

China is increasingly using humanitarian tools to increase its maritime presence abroad.

U.S. Africa policy is often viewed through the prism of competition with China. If so, the United States has a long way to go to catch up.

Chinese smuggling rings have been instrumental in the illegal trafficking of rosewood. They also provide support to terrorist groups in West Africa and Mozambique.

Viewing China’s relations with individual African states as a single unified policy is misleading both for China and for those watching from afar.

Over the past two decades, Beijing has financed and built at least 15 parliament buildings in African nations. These projects carry hidden costs that extend far beyond their initial construction.

Taiwan’s last foothold on the continent is built on personalized diplomacy with Eswatini’s absolute monarch.

Insights from Dawn Murphy.

Is Beijing’s rumored plan for a base in the African country moving closer to fruition?

Beijing’s motivations concerning the conflict resolution in Niger include a mix of economic, political and reputational drivers.

There are substantial commonalities in Beijing’s engagement between the two regions, but also differences that provide insights into how China-based entities make, and adapt, policies.

Tanzania’s skepticism toward China has opened new space for India to upgrade a longstanding partnership.

The Zambian president’s visit to China moved the relationship beyond debt and reset to a focus on growth.

Across the continent, China is doubling down on energy investments even in the face of local opposition and violent conflict.

As the controversial Russian mercenary group is diverting its attention to Ukraine, China’s PSCs have a window to expand their engagement in African countries.

What are China’s interests in the Central African state, and vice versa?

Africa and the Middle East provide conducive conditions for China and Russia to advance their shared and separate agendas.  

The DRC has purchased Chinese attack drones, raising concerns about China’s role in exacerbating the DRC-Rwanda conflict.

A look at the priorities the AU, Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin, and Egypt have for their relationships with China.

To effectively mitigate the influence of Huawei and other Chinese tech giants in Africa, the U.S. must position itself as a willing and reliable alternative partner.

Beijing has succeeded by responding to African governments' precise needs, against a backdrop of lingering mistrust of the West.

A closer look at the trends and differences in Japanese vs. Chinese lending to Kenya.

African countries have the agency to use relations with China to their own advantage. Whether African leaders will use their power to benefit their people is another question.

The implications of Beijing’s progression from donating vials of the vaccine to setting up production in the continent are hard to ignore, especially for the leaders of the Quad.

While its bauxite and iron ore deposits make Guinea important to China, context is everything.