China's Vice President Visits South Africa, Strengthens Security Ties

 Otto's Journal, a digital news publication based in New York, posted on 22 March 2026 an article titled "South Africa and China Strengthen Security Ties in 2026 Pretoria Summit" by Thabiso Mkhwanazi.  

South Africa welcomed Chinese Vice President Han Zheng where discussions are expected to prioritize bilateral security cooperation, implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan, and South Africa's evolving role in a multipolar world as Pretoria navigates a complex relationship with the United States and deepens its ties with BRICS countries.

Ethiopia Seeks to Restructure $1 Billion International Bond

 Reuters published on 3 January 2026 an article titled "Ethiopia Strikes Draft Restructuring Deal on $1 Billion Bond with Bondholder Group" by Dawit Endeshaw and Karin Strohecker.

Ethiopia defaulted on its sole international bond in 2023 and opted to rework its debt under the G-20's Common Framework initiative.  Addis Ababa has struck a preliminary agreement with a group of investors holding some of its $1 billion 2024 international bond.  This marks an important step toward restoring debt sustainability.  

Is China Winning Competition with US for Influence in Africa?

 Singapore's Chinese-language daily, Lianhe Zaobao, published on 30 November 2025 an article titled "Africa's Resource Battle: Has the China-US Contest Already Been Decided?" by Shen Yue. The article reports comments by Amit Jain, Director of the Nanyang Technical University-Singapore Business Federation, (NTU-SBF) Centre for African Studies.  NTU-SBF provided an English-language translation of the article.

The author increasingly sees China as taking the lead over the United States in Africa with critical minerals as the main attraction for both countries.  China is by far the largest trading partner with Africa, albeit heavily Chinese exports to the continent, while US trade with Africa has fallen sharply since its peak in 2009.  Foreign direct investment (FDI) from China and the US varies from year to year but in 2024 Chinese FDI in Africa totaled $3.4 billion while the US figure was a negative $2 billion due to disinvestment.  The US dollar is still the major currency in trade transactions, but the use of Chinese yuan is growing each year.

Trump Administration Opposes South African G-20 Membership; China Supports It

 The Citizen published on 5 December 2025 an article titled "China Stands with South Africa as Trump Threatens G-20 Exclusion" by Zaghrah.  

President Trump has threatened to exclude South Africa from next year's G-20 Summit in Miami.  China has stepped in to support South Africa's inclusion.  China's backing of South Africa, the only African member of the G-20, is both strategic and symbolic.  

China Fills Western Absence in Africa

 Semafor published on 20 November 2025 a commentary titled "How African Nations Got Stuck with China" by Andy Browne, managing editor of Live Journalism.

China offers Africa mercantilist trade policies and adds to African debt with its loan practices, but Western countries have not stepped up to fill the need on the continent.  Washington has dismantled the US Agency for International Development, and some European countries are scaling back their aid programs.  As a result, Beijing is making progress on forging an alternative to the US-led global order.

G-20 Summit in South Africa: VP Heads China Delegation While US Boycotts

 Independent Online published on 14 November 2025 an article titled "'What Snub?' Analyst Dismisses Claims China Is Snubbing South Africa over President Xi's G20 Absence" by Jonisayi Maromo.  

China's President Xi Jinping will not attend the G-20 summit in Johannesburg this month.  Vice President Li Qiang will represent Beijing, which expressed strong support for both the summit and South Africa's leadership of the organization this year.  Unlike the United States, which is boycotting the summit, China insists that this decision does not constitute a snub of South Africa.  

South Africa Asks for Postponement of Naval Exercise with China and Russia

 The Associated Press published on 4 September 2025 an article titled "South Africa Asks China to Postpone Naval Exercises that Coincide with Possible Trump Trip for G20" by Gerald Imray.  

South Africa, China, and Russia had planned to hold their biennial joint naval exercise in late November.  South Africa asked China to postpone the exercise because it coincides with the 22-23 November meeting in South Africa of the G-20, which President Trump may attend.  

South Africa Schedules Joint Naval Drill with China and Russia

 Pravda published on 2 September 2025 an article titled "South Africa to Hold Joint Naval Drills with Russia and China During G20 Summit" by Anton Kulikov.

The South African National Defence Force will conduct the third stage of the MOSI joint naval exercise with Russia and China in November this year to coincide with the G-20 summit hosted by South Africa.  

US Absence from G-20 Meeting in South Africa Widens Open Door for China

 Politico published on 20 February 2025 an article titled "Rubio's G-20 Soft Power Surrender" by Phelim Kine.

The decision by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to boycott the G-20 meeting in South Africa this week gives Beijing more room to deepen relationships with countries of the Global South.  Coupled with the dismantling of USAID, this sends an especially negative message to Africa.  

Ethiopia's Foreign Debt Downgraded to Junk Status; About Half Held by China

 Nigeria's News Central published on 26 January 2024 an article titled "Ethiopia Defaults, Crumbling Under Chinese Loans" by Nesta Sani.  

Ethiopia is trying to restructure its foreign debt of about $28 billion, which Fitch Ratings has downgraded to junk status.  Chinese loans for infrastructure projects financed primarily by the Export-Import Bank and China Development Bank make up about half of the debt.  In 2023, China suspended debt payments due over the next 12 months.  It is not clear what happens when the debt suspension ends in July 2024.  

The New Cold War in Africa

 Foreign Affairs published on 20 September 2023 an article titled "Why the New Cold War Will Split Africa" by Brett L. Carter.

The second cold war is intensifying Africa's democratic recession.  Beijing and its junior partner Russia are strengthening Africa's dictatorships and facilitating backsliding in democracies.  Although the short-term dynamics favor China and Russia as partners for African countries, the long-term dynamics favor the United States.

China's Position on Restructuring Loan Debt

 Reuters published on 22 June 2023 an article titled "Explainer: What Is China's Position on Restructuring Debt Owed by Poor Nations?" by Joe Cash.

China wants multilateral lenders like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to absorb some of the loses on loans to nations such as Zambia that are unable to meet their debt terms.  Paris Club countries, especially the United States, have resisted this request.  

China-US Disagreements for Alleviating Debt of Most Burdened Countries

 The Washington Post published on 13 April 2023 an article titled "U.S. China Split Shadows Hopes for Lifting Debt Load from Global Economy" by David J. Lynch.

China continues to resist the G-20 Common Framework proposal for alleviating the debt of especially burdened countries such as Zambia, Ethiopia, Ghana, and the DRC.  

Zambian Debt Relief Tests China

 Axios published on 10 April 2023 a commentary titled "Why Zambia's Debt Restructuring Is a Critical Test for China" by Kate Marino.  

China has been reluctant to accept the G-20s "Common Framework" roadmap for creditors to work out the debt defaults of lower income nations such as Zambia.  China says it wants to be "constructive" in these talks but has not yet committed to provide significant debt relief to Zambia.  

China, Africa, and the Debt Service Suspension Initiative

 The China-Africa Research Initiative published in April 2023 a study titled "Integrating China into Multilateral Debt Relief: Progress and Problems in the G20 DSSI" by Deborah Brautigam and Yufan Huang.  

The study evaluates China's participation in a major multilateral experiment in sovereign debt management: the G-20s COVID-19 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI).  The authors argue, with some caveats, that the DSSI was a success.  

First, it succeeded in providing a pathway for China, the world's largest bilateral creditor, to negotiate debt treatments together with the Paris Club in the Common Framework.  Second, China fulfilled its role fairly well as a responsible G-20 stakeholder.  Finally, the DSSI pushed the Chinese government to align interests among fragmented banks and bureaucracies with conflicting goals.   

Smarter US Competition with China in Africa

 World Politics Review published on 8 February 2023 a commentary titled "To Compete with China the U.S. Must Take Africans Seriously" by Chris Olaoluwa Ogunmodede.

The author argues that "African leaders remain wary of grand pledges and empty rhetoric unmatched by concrete follow-through, as well as the arrogant paternalism that typically characterizes Washington's engagement with these countries."  But the author adds that China is no less prone than the United States to making mistakes in its interaction with Africans.  Nevertheless, Beijing's core arguments resonate better by default.  

Japan's model of cooperation with Africans may be the best one to emulate.  Washington could start by being a better listener with its African interlocutors.  

Ghana, China, and Debt Relief

 Reuters published on 4 February 2023 an article titled "China Must Join Ghana Debt Restructuring Effort Soon, Germany's Lindner Says" by Christian Akorlie and Cooper Inveen.  

Ghana is trying to restructure its $39 billion external debt in an effort to obtain a $3 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.  Germany's finance minister singled out China during a visit to Ghana to do its part to restructure the country's debt. 

Chatham House Podcast on China, Africa, Debt, and Great Power Competition

 Chatham House posted on 13 January 2023 a podcast on "China in Africa" with a number of experts from Chatham House.

The first 19 minutes of the 30 minute podcast focused on African debt held by China and great power competition in Africa involving China, Russia, and the West.  

China-US Competition in Africa

 The Diplomat published on 16 December 2022 a commentary titled "China-US Competition Seems to Be Working For Africa" by Chensi Li and Sena Voncujovi, both with Development Reimagined.  

The authors argue that US-China competition  is providing tangible results for African countries although they will have to work hard to ensure that the commitments become a reality.  

China Casts Shadow on US-Africa Leaders Summit

 The South China Morning Post published on 10 December 2022 an article titled "At First US-Africa Summit in Years, China and Its Inroads on the Continent Expected to Cast Long Shadow" by Bochen Han and Jevans Nyabiage.  

The article compares the role of the United States in Africa with that of China, suggesting that Washington has a lot of ground to make up.