The South African Institute of International Affairs published in October 2020 a study titled "African Agency and Chinese Power: The Case of Djibouti" by Jean-Pierre Cabestan.
Djibouti has moved closer to China joining Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative and triggering growing concerns among its Western partners, especially France and the United States. But Djibouti has tried to maintain a balance between the two sides and recently demonstrated its willingness to limit China's influence by diversifying its sources of funding and economic partnerships. Because of its strategic location and political balancing act, Djibouti still exerts some agency in its relations with external powers, including China.
