Does Chinese Construction of Government Buildings in Africa Result in Intelligence Collection?

The Heritage Foundation published on 20 May 2020 a detailed report titled "Government Buildings in Africa are a Likely Vector for Chinese Spying" by Joshua Meservey.

The author notes that Chinese companies, all of which are legally obliged to help the Communist Party of China gather intelligence, have built at least 186 government buildings in Africa and at least 14 sensitive intra-governmental telecommunication networks.  He concludes that Beijing likely uses surveillance in these buildings and the IT networks to advantage Chinese companies competing for contracts and otherwise engage in spying as happened at the Chinese-built African Union headquarters.

In response to a question on 22 May about the report, China's foreign ministry press spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, said that "we noted the report.  It hypes up 'China bugging AU headquarters' and other ridiculous claims based on nothing but lies, illusions and ideological bias.  African leaders publicly refuted such rumors on multiple occasions."

The response recalls the comment of Queen Gertrude to her son in a scene from Hamlet: "The lady [press spokesperson] doth protest too much, methinks."