The International Political Science Review published on 10 October 2026 an article titled "Shaping Power and Strategic Security Framing: China's Global Security Initiative in Africa, the Development-Security Nexus, and the Case of Ethiopia" by Nele Noesselt.
This academic study concludes that Ethiopia illustrates the reach and the limits of China's discursive strategy. Ethiopia demonstrates that even substantial economic dependence on Chinese loans and investments does not necessarily translate into sustained political alignment with Beijing's security priorities.
China's expanding global role has generated new constraints and vulnerabilities. Persistent security risks affecting Chinese companies abroad combined with ongoing domestic economic restructuring have prompted Beijing to quietly recalibrate its overseas investment strategy.
