How China Pays to Shape the Narrative in East Africa

China Daily Africa Limited Director Wang Xiaodong and Radio Africa Group CEO Martin Khafafa at a signing ceremony at the main office on July 16, 2025 for a one-year editorial partnership with The Star newspaper. Image via The Star.

In this new era of reduced advertising and declining readership, East African newspapers, such as The Star in Kenya, are thrilled when entities like the Chinese government approach them for long-term paid partnerships.

Last week, the paper signed a year-long deal with the state-owned China Daily newspaper to distribute a weekly insert to its 100,000 daily readers. This is a similar arrangement to what China Daily has done for years in the U.S. and the UK, among other places.

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by Eric Olander

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