Pekingology China's Africa Strategy
Nov 13, 2025
Cobus van Staden, Managing Editor of the China Global South Project, shares his expertise on China–Africa relations. He discusses China's strategy to enhance its global influence, focusing on recent FOCAC outcomes and commitments to industrialization and green energy. Cobus highlights the increasing agency of African nations in shaping the agenda, while also examining the mixed results of the Belt and Road Initiative. He delves into the implications of China's slowing economy and its strategic partnership with South Africa, showcasing the complexities of these international dynamics.
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China's Global South Network
- China is building a network of influence across the global South with Africa at its center.
- Beijing bets these relationships will provide long-term diplomatic and economic leverage as emerging powers rise.
FOCAC's Renewed Priorities
- The 2024 FOCAC signaled renewed Chinese funding and focus on green industrialization and electrification.
- African leaders welcomed the return of engagement and a stronger role in setting FOCAC agendas.
Africa Shapes FOCAC Agenda
- FOCAC is a dialectical process where African states increasingly push to broaden the agenda beyond infrastructure.
- African actors have driven Chinese engagement into security, peacekeeping, and industrialization roles.