Why China’s “Blame the West” Strategy for Any Negative News Coverage in Africa is Counterproductive

The enormous amounts of negative news coverage about China’s relationship with Africa that followed the dramatic events in Guangzhou back in April and, more recently, the spread of COVID-19 on the continent, has led to a new consensus among Chinese stakeholders as to who, precisely, is responsible.

In recent weeks, Chinese journalists, media outlets, scholars, and government spokespeople have all rallied around the it’s not our fault, blame the West mantra.

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