China Adds Another Cooperative Program with Africa

 Addis Ababa's Capital newspaper published on 26 April 2026 an article titled "Addis Ababa Hosts Inaugural China-Africa Entrepreneurs Summit, with AU Calling for Youth-led Growth" by Groum Abate.

The African Union in Addis Ababa hosted the inaugural China-Africa Entrepreneurs Summit focused on trade, investment, industrial cooperation, and entrepreneurship.  Remarks by Ethiopia's president and the AU Commission Chairperson underscored the importance of yet another formal link between China and Africa.  

Africa's Critical Minerals: Is China or the United States the Better Partner?

 The Diplomat published on 5 February 2026 an analysis titled "China and the US Want Africa's Critical Minerals, Will African Countries Actually Benefit?" by Juliet Onyino and Weilu Jiang, both at Development Reimagined.

The authors concluded that neither the American nor the Chinese critical mineral strategies fully advance Agenda 2063's vision of African-led structural transformation.  In both cases, Africa's development objectives remain secondary unless effectively enforced through negotiation and policy coordination. 

What Africa Wants from China in 2026

 The Africa Center for Strategic Studies published on 16 January 2026 an analysis titled "What to Expect from Africa-China Relations in 2026."

The focus of the analysis is what Africa hopes to get from China in 2026.  In summary, Africa seeks to rebalance its ties with China concerning debt sustainability, value addition, and industrialization and to move toward a more equal and transparent partnership that prioritizes long-term African development.  Africa wants a strategic partnership aligned with Agenda 2063.

Ten African Security Trends in 2025

 The Africa Center for Strategic Studies published in December 2025 an infographic titled "Ten African Security Trends from 2025 in Graphics."

The paper covers the following issues:

--Sudan Fragmentation Strains Region

--Militant Islamist Group Momentum

--Impunity and Abuses of Power

--China and Russia Expand Foothold

--Growing Gulf Actor Competition

--Escalated Fighting in the DRC

--Regional Instability Impacts Nigeria

--Evolving Warfare Technology

--Urbanization and Youth Protests

--Progress toward Agenda 2063

African Union Seeks to Harmonize Strategy with China

 The African Union posted on 1 December 2025 a news release titled "African Union Permanent Mission to China Convenes Strategic Retreat to Enhance Alignment, Coordination, and Implementation of the FOCAC Commitments and Agenda 2063."

The African Union Permanent Mission to China and the African group of ambassadors in China organized on 2-3 December 2025 a session to review the FOCAC Action Plan 2025-2027 and coordinate it with the AU's Agenda 2063.  The African side expressed a desire to focus on promotion of industrialization, mineral cooperation, infrastructure development, agricultural modernization, food security, and pharmaceuticals.

China's Vocational Training Program in Africa

 Capital Ethiopia published on 19 August 2025 an article titled "China-Africa Partnership Strengthens Vocational Training to Boost Africa's Workforce" by Eyasu Aklilu.   

China has established 17 Luban workshops (vocational training centers) in 15 African countries with plans to establish 10 more.  China hosted last month a seminar in Ethiopia highlighting the Luban workshop program.  

China's Foreign Minister Makes Annual Visit to Africa

 Deutsche Welle published on 8 January 2025 an article titled "Chinese FM's Africa Tour Is More than Symbolic" by Cai Nebe.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is making the 35th first overseas visit of the year to an African country.  On this occasion, he is visiting Namibia, Republic of Congo, Chad, and Nigeria.  This tradition has served China's African policy well over the years, especially when it is compared to the practices of Western governments.   

Are African Governments Shaping the China-Africa Policy Agenda?

 The LSE blog posted on 21 November 2024 a commentary titled "African Governments Are Shaping the Future of the China-Africa Relations" by Tom Baxter, Dialogue Earth, and Yuezhou Yang, LSE-Fudan Global Public Policy Hub.

The authors argue that increasingly Africa is able to guide the China-Africa policy agenda.

Comment: While there may be some modest movement in this direction, there is precious little meaningful evidence in this commentary to make the case that African governments are shaping the future of China-Africa relations. 

Can FOCAC Meet Africa's Current Needs?

 The Institute for Security Studies published on 28 August 2024 a paper titled "Can FOCAC Adapt to Meet Africa's Long-term Needs?" by Jana de Kluiver.  

African countries need to rethink the future direction of the China-Africa partnership.  As the geopolitical importance of Africa increases, African countries must align their effort at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation with the African Union's Agenda 2063.  FOCAC's success will depend on its ability to adapt to shifting global dynamics while meeting Africa's needs.  

African Union Needs a Strategy for Dealing with China

 The Daily Maverick published on 7 March 2022 a commentary titled "The African Union Cannot Go to Beijing without an Action Plan" by Hellen Adogo, University of Johannesburg.

The African Union is opening a permanent mission in Beijing.  Africa does not have a strategy for its engagement with China.  The author argues that it is overdue for the African Union to develop a strategy that will leverage Chinese expertise to effectively support Africa's implementation of Agenda 2063.

US-China-Africa Competition or Cooperation?

 The Daily Maverick published on 26 March 2021 an oped titled "US-China-Africa and the Quest for New Global Due Diligence" by Claude Kabemba, executive director of Southern Africa Resource Watch.

The author concluded that the geostrategic competition between China and the US does not foreclose economic convergence, but such cooperation will have to consider the fact that Africa is not a passive actor.  Sustainable cooperation between China and the US will have to respond to Africa's ambitions defined in strategic documents such as Agenda 2063, the Africa Mining Vision, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

African Countries' Engagement with China in Achieving SDGs and Agenda 2063

Oxfam published in July 2017 a report titled "New Actors, New Models, New Outcomes? African Countries Engagement with China and Other Development Partners in Achieving the SDGs and Agenda 2063" by Chris Alden, London School of Economics.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union's Agenda 2063 offer an opportunity for Africans and external partners to consider how they might best achieve these development aims for the continent. This study looks at how African countries can effectively engage China, Brazil, Japan, and India in achieving SDGs and Agenda 2063.