China-Africa Ties and US Policy

 The Congressional Research Service published on 6 August 2026 a paper titled "China-Sub-Saharan Africa Ties and U.S. Policy" by Nicolas Cook, Lauren Ploch Blanchard, and Michael D. Sutherland.

China presents its engagement in Africa as promoting mutually beneficial economic development without imposing political conditions.  In practice, China seeks to use integrated multidimensional engagement to advance its broader global strategic goals of expanding its international influence, strengthening its access to natural resources, and challenging US global leadership.

Economic activity is a central pillar of China's activity in Africa.  Beijing's policy banks and state-backed lenders have extended numerous loans to African governments and other actors, making China a key bilateral creditor on the continent.  China engages in education and media cooperation, and provides development aid via grants and concessional loans, technical assistance, and humanitarian programs. Security cooperation between China and African countries has grown, especially over the last decade. 

China-Sub-Saharan Africa Ties and U.S. Policy

 The Congressional Research Service published on 6 August 2026 a report titled "China-Sub-Saharan Africa Ties and U.S. Policy" by Nicolas Cook, Lauren Ploch Blanchard, and Michael D. Sutherland.

This is a comprehensive overview of China's relations with Sub-Saharan Africa and guidance for US policymakers.  

Russia-South Africa Relations: It's Complicated

 The South African Institute of International Affairs recently posted a 16-minute podcast titled "South Africa and Russia: It's Complicated."

The Russia-China relationship generates uncomfortable headlines today.  It is based on the strong anti-apartheid position of the Soviet Union.  In addition, Vladimir Putin and former South African President Jacob Zuma solidified the ties.

Russia's invasion of Georgia, Crimea, and Ukraine complicated the relationship.  South Africa fell back on a policy of non-alignment.  By 2022, there was confusion in Pretoria concerning policy towards Russia.

Today, South Africa-Russia trade is negligible and Russian investment in the country is modest.  South Africa and Russia, both members of BRICS, agree on the need to revise the world order but not much else.  

Namibian President Makes Most of Visit to China

 The Diplomat published on 24 July 2026 a commentary titled "As the World Courts Beijing, Namibia Shows How Africa Can Sharpen Its China Strategy" by Huiyi Chen and Ovigwe Eguegu.  

Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah made a weeklong state visit to China in early July.  She arrived with a clear agenda, negotiated a Namibia-relevant itinerary, and left with numerous tangible agreements.  The authors urge other African leaders to follow her example.

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.  

China-South Africa Supply Chain Issues

 The Foreign Policy Research Institute published on 16 July 2026 an article titled "Beyond the Supply Chain: South Africa's China Dilemma" by Raghvendra Kumar.

The question facing South Africa is whether China's evolving supply chain diplomacy is designed to support Pretoria's fair and equitable participation or to reinforce Beijing's own geoeconomic priorities.  South Africa is China's largest trading partner in Africa, but it runs a large trade deficit with Beijing.  

The author concludes that South Africa's relationship with China will be successful only if Pretoria retains control over its critical infrastructure, strategic industries, and foreign policy choices.  

Zimbabwe Shuts Down Chinese Lithium Company for Fraud

 Discovery Alert published on 16 July 2026 an article titled "San Ding Lithium Shutdown: Zimbabwe's $3.65M Mining Fraud Exposed" by Muflih Hidayat.  

Zimbabwe holds Africa's largest lithium reserves and Chinese companies have invested more than $2 billion in the lithium sector.  China's San Ding Lithium operated through the fabrication of receipts and invoices to disguise fund diversions.  Zimbabwe charged two San Ding Lithium officials with two charges of fraud and shut down the company.

Namibia Signs 8 Cooperation Agreements with China

 Discovery Alert posted on 11 July 2026 an article titled "Namibia's Oil, Uranium & Lithium Strategic Partnership with China 2026" by Muflih Hidayat.  

The China-Namibia strategic partnership entered a new chapter in July 2026 when Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah made a state visit to China.  She signed 8 cooperation agreements that focus on green minerals, uranium, lithium, oil and gas, ports, technology transfer, and clean energy.

As the West Pulls Out of War-torn Sudan, China Steps In

 The Diplomat published on 8 July 2026 an article titled "Three Decades in, China Is Cashing in on Sudan's Collapse" by Paul Mwirigi.

In the midst of a three-year-long civil war, most Western countries have abandoned Sudan.  China, on the other hand, is investing in projects such as copper mining.  

Ethiopia's Economy Moves from China Model to Africa's Free Agent

 Forbes published on 1 July 2026 an article titled "Ethiopia: From China's Star Pupil to Africa's Free Agent" by Wesley Alexander Hill.

For years, China found an eager partner in Meles Zenawi's Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, which ruled Ethiopia and embraced elements of China's development model.  It delivered impressive economic growth for many years, but it also contained structural weaknesses that Beijing's own system largely avoided.  

The rise of Abiy Ahmed marked the end of this era.  Ethiopia's current economic strategy represents one of Africa's most consequential experiments in macroeconomic liberalization.

US-China Competition in the Middle East and North Africa

 The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published on 1 July 2026 an analysis titled "In the Middle East and North Africa, America and China Converge More Than They Diverge" by Amr Hamzawy and Kathryn Selfe.

Competition between the United States and China in the Middle East and North Africa is less a threat and more an opportunity.  The region has important geostrategic significance for both countries.  As great power competition develops globally, Washington and Beijing's positions in the region are increasingly converging.  

The United States and China are united by their primary interest in maintaining free trade in the region.  For both countries, a stable, peace-driven order is key.  Washington is also driven by interest in Israel's security; Beijing is similarly driven by China's need for oil and liquid natural gas.  These two interests are compatible and underscore the need for peace and stability in the region.  

China's Transsion Adds Electric Motorcycles to Its Smartphone Dominance in Africa

 Launch Base Africa published on 22 June 2026 an article titled "NewTrails Capital, Backed by Africa's Leading Smartphone Manufacturer, Invests $55M in EV Startup Spiro."

China's Transsion Holdings, Africa's biggest smartphone seller, currently commands nearly half of the continent's market.  Through its stake in a Chinese growth-stage fund called NewTrails Capital, Transsion is investing $55 million in Spiro, Africa's largest electric vehicle and battery-swapping company.  For Spiro, the relationship opens doors to Chinese suppliers that could be decisive as it scales.  

Kenya-US Critical Minerals Deal Counters China

 Reuters published on 17 June 2026 an article titled "Kenya, US Close in on Critical Minerals Deal, Ruto Says" by John Irish.

Kenya and the United States are about to close a deal on critical minerals that would allow Kenya to process the minerals domestically, a demand that African countries are increasingly making in their negotiations with buyers.  This is also an effort by the Trump administration to compete with China for African critical minerals.  

Egypt and Eritrea Strengthen Relations

 Daily News Egypt published on 10 June 2026 an article titled "Egypt, Eritrea Say Red Sea Security Is Exclusive Responsibility of Littoral States."

The foreign ministers of Egypt and Eritrea, meeting in Cairo, recently stressed that the security and management of the Red Sea remain the exclusive responsibility of its littoral states, completely rejecting any attempts by non-littoral parties to impose security arrangements or to impose their maritime access in violation of the provisions of international law.

Comment:  This comment is clearly aimed at landlocked Ethiopia, which is trying to obtain an outlet to the Red Sea.  

China's Zero Tariff Policy Does Not Guarantee Access for African Exports

 The UK's Institute of Development Studies published on 10 June 2026 a study titled "From Market Access to Strategic Openness: The New China-Africa Business Relationship" by Jing Gu.

China's new zero tariff policy for Africa opens doors for increased exports to China but does not automatically increase them.  The real constraints are upstream standards compliance, rules of origin, certification, logistics, cold chains, customs systems, trade finance, and company-level capacity.  

Odd Timing of Tanzanian President's Visit to Russia

 Africa-Press published on 3 June 2026 an article titled "Tanzania: Historic Russia Visit Amid Tensions."

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan made an official visit to Russia 3-5 June, the first visit by a Tanzanian leader in over five decades.  The visit takes place following disputed elections in Tanzania in October 2025, deteriorating relations with the West, and during Russia's war with Ukraine.

A June 2 article in Tanzania's Taufa Daily titled "10 Reasons President Samia's Russia Visit Is a Major Win for Tanzania" goes to considerable lengths to justify the timing of the visit.

China Adds Another Cooperative Program with Africa

 Addis Ababa's Capital newspaper published on 26 April 2026 an article titled "Addis Ababa Hosts Inaugural China-Africa Entrepreneurs Summit, with AU Calling for Youth-led Growth" by Groum Abate.

The African Union in Addis Ababa hosted the inaugural China-Africa Entrepreneurs Summit focused on trade, investment, industrial cooperation, and entrepreneurship.  Remarks by Ethiopia's president and the AU Commission Chairperson underscored the importance of yet another formal link between China and Africa.  

How Conflict in Africa Shapes Chinese Investment

 China-Africa Security Radar published on 21 April 2026 an article titled "Recent Study Maps How Conflict in Africa Shapes Chinese Investment."

A recent study by scholars affiliated with the People's Public Security University of China maps how China's expanding presence in Africa intersects with regions already characterized by persistent and, in many cases, escalating conflict.  The study tracks how armed conflict across Africa has evolved between 1997 and 2024 and what this shift means for China's economic and strategic exposure, particularly under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The authors identify a consistent pattern, which is that in certain contexts, weaknesses in labor relations, environmental management, and community engagement can contribute to local dissatisfaction.  In some cases, this dissatisfaction escalates into protests or localized unrest around Chinese projects.  As China's economic presence expands across conflict affected regions, the question of protecting overseas assets and personnel has become more central.  

World Bank Assessment of Sub-Saharan Africa's Growth Prospects

 The World Bank Group published in April 2026 "Africa Economic Update: Making Industrial Policy Work in Africa."

The World Bank projects that growth in Sub-Saharan Africa for 2026 will average 4.1 percent, the same as in 2025.  Downside risks, however, are emerging due in large part to disruptions caused by the war in Iran.  They include rising fuel, food, and fertilizer prices together with tighter financial conditions that are likely to push inflation higher, disrupt economic activity, and disproportionately affect the most vulnerable households which spend a larger share of their income on food and energy.

Africa, China, and Taking Advantage of the New Supply Chain Order

 B & FT Online posted on 16 April 2026 a commentary titled "From Participation to Positioning: Africa in the New Global Supply Chain Order" by Paul Frimpong.  

Africa is part of global supply chains, but its participation remains largely shallow, concentrated in low-value segments, and weakly embedded in broader production ecosystems.  China plays a central role in the current reconfiguration of global supply chains.

Africa risks becoming a site of production without becoming a center of value creation.  If Africa is to move beyond its current role, it must start with value chain targeting.  Industrial policy must be more coordinated and strategic.  Africa needs to become a single integrated market.