Africa has become the new great-power chessboard. The pieces aren’t soldiers or diplomats—they’re ports, railways, and fiber-optic cables. And behind many of them stands China.

For two decades, Beijing has poured hundreds of billions into African infrastructure through its Belt and Road Initiative. From Kenya’s railways to Nigeria’s highways to Djibouti’s deep-water port, China’s presence is everywhere. But as global scrutiny over “debt-trap diplomacy” grows, Beijing has changed tactics. The new strategy is proxy investment—a maze of shell companies, offshore funds, and nominally “private” ventures that disguise state control. This is influence without visibility.

China remains Africa’s largest trading partner and one of its biggest lenders. Increasingly, though, Chinese money no longer flows directly from state banks. It moves through holding companies in Hong Kong, Dubai, Mauritius, or Singapore—jurisdictions with minimal disclosure rules. On paper, these firms look private. In reality, many trace back to state-linked investors. The purpose is clear: to expand Chinese control in strategic sectors such as mining, telecommunications, and digital infrastructure—the commanding heights of the modern economy.

© Independent Journal Review