The Atlantic Council published on 11 September 2026 a commentary titled "The US Must Become Africa's Partner on Technology and AI. It Can Do So with Soft Power" by Troy Fitrell and Kathryn Fitrell.
China has a digital strategy for Africa, but the United States does not. It recently cancelled a useful component for such a strategy, but it is not too late to revive it.
Elites Africa published on 2 September 2026 an article titled "Egypt and China Sign Strategic Digital Economy and Technology Deals" by Ikeh Ifeanyichukwu James.
During Xi Jinping's state visit to Egypt, the two countries signed agreements that accelerate the digital transformation in Egypt and expand technological exchanges. China will integrate its technology into the Suez Canal Economic Zone. Egypt will have to align some of its digital standards with Chinese frameworks, which may create a comparative advantage for Chinese companies.
Pan African Visions published on 29 August 2026 an article titled "Beyond Promises: Russia-Africa Summit 2026 Faces a Crucial Investment Test" by Kester Kenn Klomegah.
Russia remains a marginal player in African infrastructure, industry, and agriculture compared with China, the European Union, and the United States. Many announced projects have stalled, financing instruments are weak, and younger Africans see little contemporary economic impact of Russia beyond anti-Western messaging.
At the Russia-Africa Summit in October, Moscow needs to deliver on existing pledges with real capital and project execution and engage Africa's large youth and middle-class markets if it wishes to develop a sustained, mutually beneficial economic partnership with the continent.
Graphika, an intelligence platform based on digital relationships, coordination, and the movement of information across networks, published on 25 August 2026 an analysis titled "Umbrae Ex Machina: Mapping Russian Ghostwriting Operations Across African News Outlets."
Russia has been planting ghost reporters and fake experts in African media to advance its strategic interests on the continent. This report provides an overview of the English-and French-speaking network of Russian ghost reporters in Africa. It identified 44 ghost writers and fake experts who were active between 2021 and 2026. Their media content was duplicated or quoted on 138 websites and republished on at least 113 Facebook accounts.
China Daily published on 20 August 2026 an article titled "Deeper China-Africa Media Relations Urged" by Zhao Jia.
The 7th Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation brought together in Beijing about 400 government, media, diplomatic, business, and academic representatives from China and 45 African countries. Representatives reportedly urged China-Africa media cooperation to move beyond equipment support and program exchanges toward coproduction and two-way storytelling in order to help the African media better narrate their own stories and bring a wider African perspective to Chinese audiences.
Azerbaijan's News.az published on 31 December 2025 an article titled "Why China Needs Africa."
For Beijing, Africa has become a strategic key to the future global order. China needs the critical minerals found in Africa and its markets to sell its goods. Africa is also a massive testing ground for Chinese technology, especially digital products. China wants to shape Africa, which is young, resource-rich, globally connected through corridors built by Beijing, and less dependent on Western institutions. China is buying time and influence in Africa.
The International Asia Today published on 30 December 2025 an analysis titled "The Great Recalibration: Why 2025 Changed the Rules of China-Africa Engagement" by Goktug Caliskan.
The year 2025 marked a qualitative shift in China-Africa relations from an infrastructure-driven partnership to a more complex combination of trade liberalization, industrial engagement, institutional coordination, and long-term policy alignment. China-Africa relations are increasingly structured as a system rather than a sequence of transactions.
South Africa's The Star published on 21 December 2025 an article titled "Empowering Africa: How China's Tech Cooperation Fuels Progress" by Gideon Chitanga.
The article argues that Chinese government and companies have become critical partners in the development of Africa's digital systems and information and communications technology. For example, Huawei has constructed an estimated 70 percent of Africa's 4-G networks.
China-Africa Security Radar posted on 1 October 2025 an article titled "China's Cybersecurity Partnerships in Africa."
China hosted a forum devoted to cyberspace in September attended by representatives from 32 African countries. Beijing unveiled an action plan for cooperation in digital economy development, cybersecurity, AI governance, and media exchanges. The forum marks an effort by China to become the primary partner shaping Africa's digital future.
The LSE Blog posted on 6 August 2025 a commentary titled "China is Reshaping Global Power Dynamics through Diplomatic Ritual" by Paa Kwesi Wolseley Prah, Lingnan University, and Christian Kaunert, Dublin City University.
In January 2025, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made his first overseas trip of the year to Africa--Chad, Republic of Congo, Namibia, and Nigeria--a practice the Chinese foreign minister has done every year since 1991. The author argues that Wang Yi's trip represents a systematic erosion of Western influence in Africa.
Springer published in 2024 an open access book titled "China-Africa Science, Technology and Innovation Collaboration" edited by Mammo Muchie, Angathevar Baskaran, and Mingfeng Tang.
The book is based on papers presented at a conference with the same title sponsored by the Chinese embassy in South Africa. About half of the authors are Chinese. The preface comments that "Africa must also learn from the great success China has achieved. There is a lesson Africa must learn how China managed to deal with and respond to external powers."
The chapters cover the following sectors:
--China-Africa Collaboration to Higher Education.
--China-Africa Research Collaboration and Training.
--China-Africa Collaboration in Agriculture, Food Security and Environmental Management.
--China-Africa Collaboration in Telecommunications and Space.
--Evolution of China-Africa Collaboration in Science, Technology and Innovation.
--China-Africa Collaboration in Digital Technologies.
--China-Africa Collaboration in Finance and Renewable Energy.
--China-Africa Collaboration in Health Sector.
--China-Africa Collaboration in Manufacturing.
South Africa's MTN Group and China's Huawei signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 28 February 2024 to create a joint innovation technology lab in South Africa. The two companies will collaborate to shape Africa's digital ecosystem in areas such as 5-G and beyond, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cloud computing, and digital financial services.
The Diplomat published on 21 October 2023 a commentary titled "Comparing China's Engagement in Africa and Latin America" by R. Evan Ellis, U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Center.
There are far more commonalities than differences in China's approach to Africa and Latin America, but the differences demonstrate how China adapts its policies to different geographic regions.
Agricultural & Food Policy published in October 2023 an article titled "China's 'Hunan Model' for Realising China-Africa Food Security" by Lauren A. Johnston.
The paper explores the role of the Chinese province of Hunan in Xi Jinping's most recent plan to modernize African agriculture. Food security has become an increasingly important part of the China-Africa relationship.
University World News - Africa Edition published on 5 October 2023 an article titled "Beyond BRICS: The Shaping of New Development Narratives" by Kudzai Mashininga.
At the BRICS summit in South Africa last August, China, India, and Russia demonstrated different narratives for engaging with Africa. China and India offered a competing model for development while Russia is trying to fill power vacuums.
In the case of higher education. Xi Jinping announced a Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development to complement its other higher education programs. Narendra Modi said Indian universities are establishing campuses in Africa, increasing scholarships, and deploying training teams to the continent.
The South African Institute of International Affairs published in July 2023 a paper titled "The Hunan Model: China's Zone for the China-Africa Future" by Lauren Johnston.
The paper finds that an emerging Hunan model, named after the central south Chinese province in China, builds upon its comparative strengths in agriculture, construction machinery, and mining and metallurgy, as well as its recent role in poverty eradication. It may offer a model for advancing China-Africa economic ties. The paper offers conclusions on how African countries can make the most of the model for their own development.
Routledge published in 2022 a book containing a chapter titled "The Spread of Chinese Surveillance Tools in Africa: A Focus on Ethiopia and Kenya" by Bulelani Jili.
The author challenges the conception that China seeks to export a model of surveillance. Chinese companies operating in Africa such as Huawei and ZTE tend to adapt to local business practices, rather than follow Beijing's supposed geopolitical strategy. The evidence suggests that China helps fortify the political and social processes that were already in place in Ethiopia and Kenya.
The Peace Research Institute Oslo published in September 2022 a policy brief titled "China's Engagement in West Africa: The Cases of Ghana and Senegal" by Ilaria Carrozza and Marie Sandnes.
The brief compares China's engagement in Ghana and Senegal. It found that China is engaged more deeply and across a wider range of sectors in Ghana than in Senegal.
LSE Ideas published in October 2021 a collection of essays titled "FOCAC at 21: Future Trajectories of China-Africa Relations" by the China Foresight Project.
The next FOCAC Summit is scheduled to take place in late November in Senegal. The goal of this report is to highlight emerging trends that have the potential to shape China-Africa relations in the near to medium-term future.
It includes the following essays:
--Introduction: FOCAC in a Time of COVID-19 by Chris Alden.
--Can China Pull Back? A Balance-of-Payments Assessment of the Decline in China's Overseas Investment by Stephen Paduano.
--Africa's Priorities at FOCAC: Economic Recovery and Resilience by Mzukisi Qobo.
--Seeking Stability: China's Security Engagement in Africa by Lukas Fiala.
--Going beyond the Stereotypes: China's Digital Infrastructure in Africa by Iginio Gagliardone.
--Education and Knowledge Production by Yu-Shan Wu.
--Expanding Horizons: China-Africa Cooperation on Space Technology by Gidon Gautel.
--China-Africa Public Health Cooperation and Vaccine Diplomacy by Lina Benabdallah.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies published on 19 October 2021 a study titled "Mapping China's Digital Silk Road" by Jonathan E. Hillman.
This is an analysis of China's global digital diplomacy. Countries in Africa comprise a key part of the outreach effort.
