Follow CGSP on Social Media

Listen to the CGSP Podcast

China: The Hot Button Domestic Political Issue in African Countries

by Eric Olander
Kenya's Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe (C) speaks at Mbagathi Hospital during the launch of an isolation and treatment centre for the new coronavirus dubbed COVID-19, in Nairobi on March 6, 2020.  SIMON MAINA / AFP

China is fast becoming a contentious political issue in a growing number of African countries, just as in the U.S., Europe, and in most countries here in Asia. Political rivals find that it’s becoming increasingly effective to disparage their opponents’ ties to Beijing as a way to score domestic political points, especially today amid growing public skepticism about the current state of China-Africa ties (COVID, debt, Guangzhou, and many more.) 

Getting tough with China now plays as well in Windhoek as it does in Washington.

Lead the Conversation on China

Subscribe Today to Get Full Access to The China-Global South Project

Check Out Everything You'll Get With Your Subscription

The China-Global South Daily Brief delivered to your inbox at 6AM Washington time

Full access to exclusive news and analysis from editors based in the Global South

Transcripts of CGSP’s twice-weekly podcasts

Students and teachers with a valid .edu email address are eligible for a 50% discount off monthly or yearly subscriptions. Email us to receive a discount code.

You Might Like

Ethiopian PM Abiy Puts Debt Relief on the COVID-19 Agenda. Now the Multi-Billion Dollar Question is How Will China Respond?

Confronted with an “existential threat,” Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed issued an urgent plea to G20 countries for immediate debt relief. The “dramatic decline in exports, disruption of global chains, and the sudden ...

The Geopolitics of COVID-19

The COVID-19 crisis is proving an interesting case study in the impact of different ways of conducting public diplomacy. Any public diplomacy is dependent on two factors: staying on message, and making sure ...

With a Second Chinese Vaccine Getting the Nod From the WHO, Pressure Mounts on the U.S. to Get Its Own Vaccine Distribution Drive Going

The World Health Organization granted emergency use approval to Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine, the second Chinese jab to get the global health body’s seal of approval. In a statement on Tuesday, ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.