Communist Party of China and Xinhua News Agency Host Forum in Kenya

 Kenya's The Star published on 9 December 2025 an article titled "Experts Share Insights on Advancing China-Africa Modernization at Hong Ting Forum in Kenya."

The Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Xinhua News Agency hosted in Nairobi on 4 December the Hong Ting Forum to discuss innovative ways of advancing China-Africa modernization.  It brought together government officials, think tank representatives, and media practitioners.  One of the African participants said the China-Africa relationship is being redefined to focus more on software, including skills and technology transfer, cultural exchanges, and green development.

Comment:  On April 2, 2025, Xinhua News Agency but not the CPC hosted the Hong Ting Forum in Nairobi.  It is not clear why these sessions took place so close together.   

China Courts African Media and Think Tanks at Forum in South Africa

 Kenya's The Star published on 17 November 2025 an article titled "China-Africa Partnership Conference Highlights Cooperation toward Shared Global Governance."

South Africa hosted on 13-14 November the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum China-Africa Partnership Conference.  China's Xinhua News Agency, the African Union, and South Africa's Independent Media organized the event attended by more than 200 representatives from 160 media outlets, think tanks, and government organizations.  The primary theme was shaping global governance.  

Comment:  The Forum is another example of China's focus on soft power in Africa and especially support for African media and think tanks.  The Forum provides China an opportunity to promote its governance model in Africa and build a "China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era."  

China also promoted its four global initiatives dealing with development, security, civilization, and governance.  China International Television Corporation and the state policy bank China Africa Development Fund have a 20 percent stake in South Africa's Independent Media, one of the sponsors of the Forum.  

China Reshapes Africa's Media Landscape

 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.

Russia and China Filling Void Left by Dismantlement of VOA

 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.  

China and Russia Work to Fill US Void in Africa

 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.  

China's Xinhua Urges Its Kenyan Counterpart to Join Forces to Counter Fake News

 The Kenya News Agency published on 3 October 2023 an article titled "Kenya-China News Ready to Counter Fake News" by Joseph Kamolo.

The China branch in Nairobi of the Xinhua News Agency  invited its Kenyan counterpart, the Kenya News Agency, to spearhead countering fake news and propaganda "by reporting facts based on research to build a true image of the two nations that were victims of western colonial masters."  

Kenyan President William Ruto is due to visit China at the end of the year when the two countries are expected to renew agreements for news and information exchanges.

China's Growing Media Influence in Africa

 Deutsche Welle published on 29 January 2021 a story titled "Experts Warn of China's Growing Media Influence in Africa" by Chrispin Mwakideu.  

China's Xinhua News Agency is the largest network of correspondents in the world.  Kenya serves as the Africa headquarters for Xinhua, China Global Television Network, China Daily, and China Radio International.  African media are finding it increasingly difficult to fend off the economic power of China's information/propaganda operation on the continent.  

China Central Television Expands Soft Power in Africa

Ronald Yick published a brief analysis on 23 September 2012 on the growing role in Africa of China Central Television (CCTV), which is owned by the Chinese government. CCTV opened a regional bureau in Nairobi, Kenya, at the beginning of 2012.

Click here to read the analysis.