Jack Ma is the New Face of Chinese Soft Power in Africa 

Photo via Alibaba.

Forget CGTN, China Daily or the countless other propaganda outlets the Chinese deploy in Africa to exert soft power, none of them are capable of generating the kind of impact that Jack Ma did this past week with his business and wildlife conservation awards.

He was fawned over like a movie star at every stop of his tour that took him to Togo, Nigeria, and Ghana, preaching a gospel of empowerment through entrepreneurship. It’s a message that clearly resonated with Africa’s young, hopeful population that’s increasingly wired.

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by Eric Olander

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