China Not Likely to Mediate Nile Waters Dispute

 The South China Morning Post published on 14 September 2025 an article titled "Will China Step in as Egypt and Ethiopia Spar Over Beijing-backed Nile Mega Dam?" by Jevans Nyabiage.  

China has close relations with Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan.  Beijing played an important role in financing some aspects of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam infrastructure.  Egypt, a downstream user of Nile water, continues to be displeased with Ethiopia, an upstream user.  It is not likely, however, that China will engage in an effort to mediate Nile water differences between Ethiopia and Egypt.   

China Pressures African Governments on Beijing's Core Domestic Interests

 The Associated Press published on 9 April 2025 an article titled "Beijing Ups Diplomatic Pressure on Africa as the US Pulls Back" by Dake Kang.

The government of China pressured Malawi and Gambia to withdraw from the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a group of lawmakers from 38 countries concerned about how democracies approach Beijing.  IPAC has coordinated sanctions on China over rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong and rallied support for Taiwan.  These actions by China raise questions about its claims that it does not interfere in the internal affairs of African countries. 

Comment:  This policy by Beijing is consistent with its long-standing willingness to push back when African governments take exception to any of China's core domestic issues such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang, island building in the South China Sea, and human rights policies. 

UK Member of Parliament Barred from Djibouti Over China Views

 The BBC posted on 29 April 2024 an article titled "MP Says He Was Deported from Africa over China Criticism" by Christian Fuller.

A Conservative member of the UK Parliament and critic of China was barred from entering Djibouti.  The MP claimed the incident was an "example of how the tentacles of the Chinese Communist Government extend far and wide."

South Africa's Inkatha Freedom Party and US-China Competition

 The Hudson Institute posted on 26 April 2024 an hour plus podcast titled "South Africa's Historic Election: A Conversation with Inkatha Freedom Party National Spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa" and Hudson Senior Fellow Joshua Meservey.

The discussion between minute 37 and 1 hour and 2 minutes dealt with US-China competition in Africa and the Inkatha Freedom Party's (IFP) relations with China.  (The IFP is South Africa's fourth largest political party.)  The spokesperson criticized China's lack of transparency but emphasized that China is an economic powerhouse with money.  Hence you have to take it seriously.  He added it is important that South Africa pursue its own interests vis-a-vis both China and the United States, including a concern about human rights.

The IFP interacts with the Dalai Lama and Taiwan, both anathema to China, because of its historical relationship with them.  The Chinese embassy in South Africa has expressed its unhappiness with the IFP.  But the IFP also deals with China on a range of other issues and does not have an antagonistic relationship with China.  The embassy extended a standing invitation to the IFP to visit China and Tibet.  When pressed why African countries, including South Africa, have not been critical of China's policy in Xinjiang, the spokesperson replied that you dare not antagonize Beijing on such issues.  

Eritrea Aligns Ever More Closely with Russia and China

 TASS, the Russian News Agency, published on 31 May 2023 a press release titled "Putin Begins Talks with Visiting Eritrean President."

This is the first ever meeting between Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Russian President Vladimir Putin.  

Comment:  The visit follows Eritrea's support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the only African country to take such a position.  Russia has been seeking a military base in the Red Sea.  It would not be surprising if this issue is on the agenda.

The visit to Moscow comes soon after President Isaias made a state visit to China.  Isaias has been supportive of China's core domestic concerns such as Hong Kong, Tibet, human rights, and Xinjiang.  For accounts of his visit to China see Aggrey Mutambo's "Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in State Visit to China" published by The East African on 20 May and Salem Solomon's "In State Visit, Eritrea and China Signal Deeper Partnership" published by the Voice of America on 22 May.

UN Human Rights Council Statement on Xinjiang: No African Signers

 Canada introduced on 22 June 2021 at the UN Human Rights Council a "Joint Statement on the Human Rights Situation in Xinjiang."  It expressed grave concern about the situation in Xinjiang and commented on the deterioration of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong and human rights situation in Tibet.

Forty-four countries, mostly European, a few Latin American and Pacific Island nations, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and the US signed the statement.  Not a single country in Africa signed.  

No African Countries Join Western Criticism of China at UN

 In a rejoinder to the statement by China's permanent representative to the United Nations (see 6 October below), the permanent representative of Germany issued a statement on behalf of 39 mostly Western countries in the Third Committee of the UN.  It expressed grave concern "about the human rights situation in Xinjiang and the recent developments in Hong Kong."

While 9 African countries joined the Chinese-drafted statement critical of human rights in the US and EU countries, no African or Middle Eastern country joined the German-drafted statement critical of China.  

African Support for China's Core Principles

The Spring 2020 issue of Orbis contains an article titled "Evolving Principles and Guiding Concepts: How China Gains African Support for its Core National Interests" by me and Josh Eisenman. This link only offers the abstract. Until I can figure out how to load the sharing mechanism and if you want a PDF copy of the entire article, please send an email to dhshinn@earthlink.net.

Under Xi Jinping, China has packaged its policies using two interrelated guiding concepts, the "Chinese Dream" and "The Community of Shared Future." These concepts represent the conceptual framework that China has created to engage African and other countries as it expands its diplomatic, economic, and security interaction with Africa. Beijing has successfully obtained African support or, at least, acquiescence for its core national interests: Taiwan, Tibet, the mistreatment of Muslim minorities, human rights, South China Sea, and Hong Kong.

Podcast on China's Political and Security Relations with Africa

ChinaPower posted on 26 February 2020 a 26 minute podcast titled "China's Increasing Engagement with Africa: A Conversation with Joshua Eisenman" hosted by Bonnie Glaser of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The focus of the discussion is China's political and security relationship with Africa rather than the more widely covered economic issues. The podcast is also a precursor to a book we are doing on the China-Africa relationship. A small part of our research is being published in the next issue of Orbis: FPRI's Journal of World Affairs.

China, South Africa and the Dalai Lama

The Centre for Chinese Studies at Stellenbosch University published on 8 September 2014 a commentary titled "China, South Africa and the Dalai Lama: Costs and Benefits" by Ross Anthony.  For the third time, the Dalai Lama cancelled his proposed trip to South Africa, reportedly because he could not obtain a visa from the government of South Africa.