China's Reaction to Morocco's Ceuta Crisis

 The ChinaMed Project published on 5 August 2026 an analysis titled "Chinese Officials, Experts and Media Discuss the Ceuta Crisis" by Leonardo Bruni.

On 31 July, some 60,000 people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the Moroccan coast.  This analysis discusses how Chinese officials and media have framed the Ceuta crisis, and if Chinese analysts see it as evidence that internal European Union divisions could weaken the bloc's ability to respond to external threats, such as China's assertive trade policies.

By avoiding discussing responsibility or causes of the migrant surge, Beijing showed its interest in maintaining good relations with both Spain and Morocco.  The weakness of European solidarity was, however, a recurring theme.

Chinese Private Sector Investment in Angolan Port Terminal

 Business Insider Africa published on 21 July 2026 an article titled "Another African Country Gets $900 Million Chinese-backed Port Investment Amid Beijing's Billion-dollar Race Across the Continent" by Olamilekan Okebiorun.

China's Huatong Angola Industry has signed a $900 million deal with Angola's state-owned Barra do Dande Development Company covering a 25-year sub-concession for the construction and operation of a port terminal and supporting infrastructure.  This is entirely a private sector investment.

This deal is part of a new Chinese investment strategy in Africa that is moving away from large government-backed loans and towards foreign direct investment, private financing, and commercially viable projects.  

Chinese Surveillance Patent for South African Policing Raises Questions

 China-Africa Security Radar published on 13 July 2026 an article titled "Why This Chinese Surveillance Patent Matters for Africa's Future Policing Models."

South Africa granted a Chinese public security technology company with close ties to state security institutions a patent for algorithmic policing that could potentially shape the future of policing in Africa.  The patent is for mapping relationships between people using digital traces, including text and social media.  The rise of digital authoritarianism across parts of Africa raises the possibility for abuse of this technology.  

The Sino-Moroccan Rapprochement

 The Torino World Affairs Institute published in 2026 a study titled "The Sino-Moroccan Rapprochement: An Analysis of Geoeconomic Convergence, Diplomatic Calibration and Media Narratives in a Changing Maghreb" by Bianca Pasquier and Imane Ezzehouany, edited by Amanda Chen and Leonardo Bruni.  

The study concludes that by deepening its engagement with China, Morocco is reengineering its agency and room for maneuver while maintaining its traditional ties with the United States and Europe.  China's economic presence in the Kingdom, albeit still limited compared to European and Gulf partners in overall investment terms, has rapidly expanded in industrial sectors critical for the green transition and the restructuring of global value chains.  

Algeria Increases Purchases of Chinese Military Equipment

 

Defence Security Asia posted on 25 June 2026 an article titled "Algeria's J-10C and KJ-500 Deal Signals China's Biggest Air Power Breakthrough."

Algeria is apparently prepared to buy Chinese Chengdu J-10C multirole fighters and Shaanxi KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft beginning in 2027.  This acquisition would make Algeria's air force one of the most advanced air powers in the region and challenge Russia as the traditional supplier of its air force.  

Min.com posted on 25 June 2026 an article titled "China Won a Large Order in Algeria, 24 Pterosaur 2, Frigates and Anti-ship Missiles Are on the List."

Recent purchases of Chinese arms by Algeria include frigates, missile systems, and drones.

US Counterterrorism Operations in Africa

 Eurasia Review published on 10 June 2026 an article titled "The Head of US Africa Command Testifies before Congress on American Counter-Terrorism Operations in Africa--Analysis" by Daniel Volman, director of the Africa Security Research Project in Washington.

This is a wide-ranging discussion of US efforts to counter terrorism in Africa.  It includes testimony in May before Congress by Dagvin Anderson, Commander of the U.S. Africa Command, and additional comments by other Trump administration officials.  The focus is on terrorist threats in Nigeria, the Sahel, and Somalia.  

Is Chinese Manufacturing in Morocco a Platform to Avoid US and EU Tariffs?

 The ChinaMed Project published on 12 June 2026 an analysis titled "China's Industrial Footprint in Morocco: The Case of Tanger Tech" by Imane Ezzehouany and Amanda Chen.

As Chinese manufacturers expand their presence in Morocco, concern is mounting in Europe and the United States that the Kingdom may become an "industrial platform" for China to circumvent US and EU trade restrictions.

Tanger Tech City is an emerging Chinese platform for green manufacturing driven by a convergence of interests between China and Morocco.  

China Leads Electric Vehicle Sales in Africa

 IntelliNews posted on 3 June 2026 an article titled "China's BYD Captures 35% of Africa's EV Market, as Latecomer Rival Tesla Bets on Morocco" by Brian Kenety.

Chinese automaker BYD Company Ltd. increased its African market share for electric vehicles (EVs) to 35 percent in 2025, up from 4 percent two years ago.  Tesla is trying to break into the African market by focusing on Morocco.

Likely Impact of China's Zero Tariff Policy on African Imports (in French)

 GeopoWeb posted on 18 May 2026 an analysis titled "Africa, China, and Zero Tariffs: A Diplomatic Gesture Put to the Test by the Data" by Thierry Pairault.  

Effective on May 1, China began a policy of zero tariffs on imports from all African countries except Eswatini, which recognizes Taiwan.  Six African countries (South Africa, DRC, Angola, Guinea, Zambia, and Congo Brazzaville) now supply three quarters of China's imports from Africa.  Most of these imports consist of minerals, metals, and crude oil, which already enter China duty free.

A modest quantity of African agricultural products will benefit from the zero-tariff policy.  Landlocked African countries, which tend to be among the poorest, will receive little or no benefit from the zero-tariff policy because of transportation constraints.  In addition, non-tariff barriers such as sanitary standards remain in effect.  Thierry identifies several other barriers to increased African exports to China that will limit the impact of the zero-tariff policy.  He also compares the impact of EU and Chinese imports from Africa.

Thierry concludes the zero-tariff policy has less to do with rebalancing trade between China and Africa than it is an effective diplomatic tool at little cost to China but also limited in its economic impact.  

Evolution of China's Policy on the Western Sahara

 The ChinaMed Project published on 7 May 2026 an analysis titled "From Neutrality to Strategic Ambiguity: China and the Western Sahara Conflict" by Imane Ezzehouany, Bianca Pasquier, and Amanda Chen.  

This analysis examines the evolution of China's position on the Western Sahara and the growing tension between diplomatic neutrality, geoeconomics, and geopolitical competition in the Maghreb.  The rapid expansion of Sino-Moroccan relations in recent years raise questions whether Beijing may be adopting a calibrated ambiguity compatible with Morocco's autonomy plan, allowing China to safeguard its strategic interests without incurring meaningful political costs.  

China-Africa Trade Grows but So Does Africa's Deficit

 Ecofin Agency published on 27 April 2026 an article titled "China-Africa Trade in 2026: Cooperation, but Not on Equal Terms" by Idriss Linge.

As exports to the United States fall sharply, China is turning increasingly to Africa to export its consumer and industrial products.  During the first quarter of 2026, China-Africa trade reached $92 billion, up 27 percent year on year.  But while Chinese exports to Africa rose 32 percent, African exports to China increased by only 18 percent.  Africa's trade deficit with China for the quarter reached $29 billion, nearly $10 billion higher than a year earlier.  

The zero-tariff policy announced for Africa by Xi Jinping beginning 1 May 2026 is largely cosmetic and will make little difference in the trade relationship because 95 percent of African exports to China already enter the country duty free.  

Chinese Gay Men in Africa

 Global China Pulse published on 20 April 2026 an article titled "Queering Chinese in Africa: The Unintended Sexual Migration of Chinese Gay Men" by Cai Chen, Universite libre de Bruxelles.

In an unusual piece of research, the author examines the migration trajectories, motivations, and experiences of three self-identified gay Chinese men who have lived in one or more African country.  

Iran War Increases China's Interaction with North Africa

 The Stimson Center published on 27 March 2026 a paper titled "How Iran War Is Reshaping China's Geo-Economic Cooperation with North Africa" by Chuchu Zhang, Fudan University.

The war in Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz have caused China to pursue a dual-track strategy of multi-source procurement and accelerated green transformation, deliberately broadening its oil and gas import footprint while fast tracking the development of new energy technologies.  North Africa has emerged as a pivotal arena for deepened geo-economic cooperation.  

China's Zero Tariffs in Africa Likely to Have Minimal Impact (in French)

 Thierry Pairault posted a working paper on 30 March 2026 titled "Tarif zero: Bruxelles face a Pekin."

Beginning on 1 May 2026, China will implement a zero-tariff policy for African countries.  Pairault argues that in the few sectors where the zero tariff could theoretically encourage African exports of processed or manufactured goods to China, Beijing has little interest in allowing them to develop as they would compete with actively protected industries.  He then demonstrates that the import structures of the European Union and China shed light on this asymmetry.

African Country Military Strength Ranking

 Global Firepower has released its "2026 Military Strength Ranking" that evaluates 145 countries based on 60 factors in the categories of manpower, military equipment, finances, logistics, natural resources, and geography.  The ranking included 38 of the 54 countries in Africa.

The ten highest ranked African countries were Egypt (19), Algeria (27). Nigeria (33), South Africa (40), Ethiopia (47), Morocco (56), Angola (59), DRC (64), Sudan (66), and Tunisia (79).

The Plusses and Minuses for Africa of China's New Zero Tariff Policy

 The Conversation published on 12 March 2026 a commentary titled "China's New Tariff-free Regime for Africa: The Potential Upside and Downside" by Lauren Johnston, University of Sydney.

When China's zero-tariff policy for Africa kicks in on 1 May, the author suggests there will be two major likely outcomes.  On the positive side, zero tariffs could provide incentives for cross-country export cooperation within Africa.  On the negative, it risks creating conditions in which Africa's strong economies such as South Africa, Morocco, and Kenya capture the most gain at the expense of weaker economies.  

US, China, and Russia Are Largest Major Arms Suppliers for Africa

 The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute published in March 2026 its "Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2025" by Mathew George, Katarina Djokic, Zain Hussain, Pieter D. Wezeman, and Siemon T. Wezeman.  

During the period 2021-2025, the largest supplier of major weapons to all of Africa was the United States (19 percent), followed by China (17 percent), and Russia (15 percent).  Nearly all of the American weapons went to Morocco and Egypt.  These percentages do not include small arms and light weapons, which would drive up percentages for China and Russia.

The largest supplier of major weapons to sub-Saharan Africa during this period was China (22 percent), Russia (12 percent), and Turkiye (11 percent).  The three countries receiving the most major weapons were Nigeria (16 percent), Senegal (9 percent), and Mali (8 percent). 

Chinese Company Expands Satellite Cooperation with Morocco and Algeria

 Europe Says posted on 10 March 2026 an article titled "China's Geely Expands Satellite Partnerships with Morocco, Algeria."

China's Geely Auto and its aerospace division, Time Space Daoyu Technology Company, signed separate partnership agreements with Morocco and Algeria to strengthen satellite-related technology and infrastructure.

In Algeria, the cooperation focuses on building domestic aerospace manufacturing capacity.  In Morocco, the emphasis is on satellite connectivity services rather than manufacturing.

Artificial Intelligence for Africa's Defense Forces

 The Africa Center for Strategic Studies published in February 2026 a major study titled "Artificial Intelligence for Africa's Defense Forces: A Toolkit for Defense Sector AI Strategy and Adoption."

This toolkit is a resource for African defense professionals to develop and adopt artificial intelligence policies, strategies, guidance, systems, and tools.  It defines and illustrates some of the most relevant use cases, discusses how to guide the development of AI systems, processes, and personnel, suggests how to adapt AI to Africa's security environment, and outlines good practices that can be used to inform the development of defense sector AI strategy.

AI is no longer a futuristic prospect for Africa's defense forces, but an increasingly embedded tactical reality shaping military operations from the Sahel to the Cape.  Like past inventions such as steam power, electricity, and the internet, AI is fast becoming an essential technology that will underpin the future of warfare.  

Artificial Intelligence in Africa and Cooperation with China and US

 Nanyang Technological University posted on 24 February 2026 an article titled "The State of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Africa" by Amit Jain.

This is a nice summary of the current state of artificial intelligence in Africa, the sectors that are most likely to benefit in the coming years, and the countries that are best positioned to take advantage of it. 

The Georgetown Journal of International Affairs published on 7 February 2026 an article titled "The United States, China, and AI Competition in Africa: Lessons for the Global South" by Alice Chen and Neel U. Sukhalme.  

This article (also posted below on 11 February) is a useful addition to this topic, which is fast becoming important to Africa's development.