The Independent published on 30 January 2026 an article titled "How UK Aid Cuts Help China Win the Battle for Hearts and Minds in Africa" by Dani Madrid-Morales, University of Sheffield.
The British and American retreat from Africa is being cleverly exploited by China to win the hearts and minds of Africans. Much of China's success is due to its all-out effort to dominate the media domain in Africa as Western outlets pull back.
The blog for the SOAS China Institute at the University of London published on 30 July 2025 a commentary titled "How China Is Reshaping Africa's Information and Media Landscape" by Daouda Cisse, Gaston Berger University in Senegal.
Chinese state media outlets like CGTN, Xinhua, and China Daily are now common features in African media spaces. Beijing is helping to reshape Africa's media and governance landscape. The issue becomes how African governments can benefit without compromising press freedom, data privacy, or democratic values.
The Wall Street Journal published on 13 July 2025 an article titled "China Gets More Airtime Around the World as Voice of America Signs Off" by Aruna Viswanatha, Alexandra Wexler, and Clarence Leong.
Media time slots in foreign countries once used by the Voice of America are, in some cases, now being allocated to official Chinese media outlets.
The New York Times published on 24 June 2025 an article titled "As U.S. Dismantles Voice of America, Rival Powers Hope to Fill the Void" by Tiffany Hsu.
As the Voice of American and its affiliated networks such as Radio Free Asia shut down at the request of the Trump administration, Russian networks such as RT and Sputnik and Chinese such as Global Times, Xinhua News Agency, and China Global Television Network are filling the void.
Broadcast Media Africa published on 24 March 2025 an article titled "CGTN-Africa Boosts Continental Reach with Increased Investment."
China Global Television Network (CGTN) is significantly increasing its resources to expand coverage across Africa as the Trump administration shuts down the Voice of America. China is working to strengthen its relationship with African countries while the United States is seemingly folding its tent.
The Washington Post published on 24 March 2025 an article titled "Trump's Global Funding Cuts Leave a Void in Africa for Rivals to Exploit" by Katharine Houreld and Robyn Dixon.
About one-quarter of the US foreign aid budget was devoted to Africa. Russia and China have been expanding their influence in Africa and are now using the dismantlement of USAID to further increase their efforts while not adding meaningfully to their humanitarian commitments. They are also stepping up their propaganda programs as the United States shuts down the Voice of America.
Made in China Journal published on 5 February 2025 an article titled "Global China and African Journalistic Agency: A Relational Perspective" by Hangwei Li, German Institute of Development and Sustainability.
The author provides an overview of the relational perspective to understand African media interactions and their
The Diplomat published on 23 October 2024 a commentary titled "China's Battle for Narratives in Africa" by Samir Bhattacharya and Yuvvraj Singh, both with India's Observer Research Foundation.
China has built narratives to its advantage in Africa, a region that has increasingly become a theater of great power rivalry. China's information strategy in Africa consists of three parts. First, it hosts and trains numerous African media professionals each year, teaching them to promote Chinese investments as a positive force. Second, China invests in local African media outlets, influencing their editorial practices to align with the Chinese narrative. Third, China sells technology to African governments that enables tighter control over digital information, including blocking websites and shutting down internet access.
The BBC published on 2 September 2024 an article titled "China's Mission to Win African Hearts with Satellite TV" by Shawn Yuan.
China funds StarTimes private digital TV in African villages as part of its soft power program. It began as a free aid project but became a subscription service at subsidized rates. Many villagers cancelled their TV service after the free trial period ended. The initiative began with much promise but has become a disappointing part of China's soft power effort in Africa.
The Africa Center for Strategic Studies published on 16 April 2024 an analysis titled "China's Strategy to Shape Africa's Media Space" by Paul Nantulya.
The author describes a global strategy by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to gain influence in developing countries by shaping their information environments. This raises concerns about the effect that China's heavy media penetration is having on shaping public perceptions in ways that promote Chinese interests even when they undermine African citizen interests.
Thousands of African journalists participate annually in media exchanges in China. Money is the key; Chinese media entities support many African media houses struggling with poor equipment, low salaries, and tight budgets. Nevertheless, the author concludes the effectiveness of Chinese messaging is mixed.
The Daily Maverick published on 27 March 2023 a commentary titled "Media Capture and Information Laundering--China and Russia's Propaganda Assault on Africa" by Herman Wasserman, Stellenbosch University.
The governments of China and Russia have been working hard to frame information in Africa to fit their policies and interests. Increasingly, this communication includes fake narratives and amplified conspiracy theories.
The United States Institute of Peace published on 16 March 2023 a report titled "China's Media Propaganda in Africa: A Strategic Assessment" by Joshua Eisenman.
This report examines China's investments in Africa's media sector, assesses their effect, and makes recommendations for how the United States can respond to China's influence campaigns.
Japan Forward published on 8 June 2022 an article titled "'Manage the Globe': China Funds African Media, Digital Space for Direct Influence" by Monika Chansoria.
The article summarizes China's efforts to manage media messaging in Africa by investing in government run radio, television, and print media and training African journalists.
The New York Times published on 11 April 2022 an article titled "China's Echoes of Russia's Alternate Reality Intensify Around the World" by Paul Mozur, Steven Lee Myers, and John Liu.
Government-controlled Chinese media are making a special effort to disseminate Russian propaganda and falsehoods about the war in Ukraine to audiences around the world, including Africa.
