Chinese Admiral Zheng He's Visits to African Shores in 15th Century

 The South China Morning Post published on 25 December 2025 an article titled "Exhibition Traces China's Long Links with Kenya from Admiral Zheng He to Belt and Road" by Jevans Nyabiage.

During the Ming dynasty, Chinese Admiral Zheng He's fleet visited the East African coast in the 1400s.  China often refers to these voyages to reinforce a long relationship with Africa, although it was then interrupted and Chinese naval ships did not return to Africa until 2000.

Historical Narratives as a Tool in China's Africa Policy

International Politics published in 2017 a study titled "The Chinese Story: Historical Narratives as a Tool in China's Africa Policy" by Bjornar Sverdrup-Thygeson, London School of Economics.

The study argues that Beijing is propagating a range of historical narratives about African history and the Sino-African relationship. It finds that this Chinese history of Africa represents China's recent actions in Africa as incarnations of a long historical tradition of friendship and anti-colonial support, thus serving to legitimize Chinese policies as well as delegitimizing Western powers' economic and political strategies.