China’s engagement with Africa has undergone a profound transformation, evolving from solidarity-based support in the era of decolonisation to a sprawling and often controversial alliance. Today, China is Africa’s largest bilateral trading partner, a principal source of infrastructure financing, and a formidable geopolitical actor. As of 2024, trade between China and Africa stood at a record $289.3 billion, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce; more than double what it was a decade ago. The scope of China’s involvement ranges from mega infrastructure projects and digital systems to cultural exchanges and military cooperation. Yet this deepening entanglement rekindles long-standing questions: Is China helping Africa achieve sovereignty and development or entrenching a new dependency that undermines long-term autonomy and institutional resilience?
China’s early ties with Africa were rooted in shared anti-colonial sentiment. At the 1955 Bandung Conference, China aligned with newly independent African states, promoting South-South cooperation against Cold War superpowers. Symbolic projects like the TAZARA Railway linking Zambia and Tanzania in the 1970s embodied this solidarity. Over time, the relationship became more structured. The 2000 launch of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) marked a new institutional phase. Since then, Beijing has hosted eight FOCAC summits, pledging billions in aid and investment. The 2018 Beijing Summit alone saw China promise $60 billion in new financing. The 2013 introduction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) globalised China’s development strategy, with over 50 African countries now signed onto BRI agreements, integrating into China’s expansive trade and logistics corridors.
China’s economic footprint in Africa is significant. By 2024, it accounted for more than 20% of Africa’s external debt, according........

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