The South African Institute of International Affairs published in November 2020 a study titled "'China-powered' African Agency and Its Limits: The Case of the DRC 2007-2019" by Johanna Malm.
China's large initial loan to the DRC gave it China-powered agency from 2007 to 2009 to challenge other external actors. This agency disappeared during 2010-2019 when the DRC was not able to play external actors off each other.
