The United States often frames its engagement in Africa as a way to confront China’s “malign influence,” prompting widespread criticism over the years that Washington’s primary interest on the continent appears more focused on China than on building a constructive Africa policy.

There’s a similar dynamic going on in China where senior-level officials regularly (almost daily in fact) contrast their Africa policies with those of the United States. The key difference, though, is that these officials, including Wu Peng , Beijing’s top diplomat for sub-Saharan Africa, almost never mention the U.S. by name, although it’s clear who they’re talking about.