The squall caused by the eviction and mistreatment of Africans in Guangzhou is dying down, and the China-Africa relationship seems to be heading back to its usual state: glassy calm on the surface with massive currents deep below.

The fact that everyone, including the African press, seems in a hurry to move on from the fight shouldn’t surprise us. After all, we’re in the midst of a global pandemic during which Africa will need all the external partnerships it can get. The little issue of all the African debt held by Chinese banks, and lingering doubts about how much the continent can count on the Trump administration in a crunch also contributed to African governments moving on. After all, the continent doesn’t have endless options.