Africa-China relations could be boosted by the war in Ukraine

The document examines how the war in Ukraine is facilitating a geopolitical realignment in Africa, where countries are increasingly wary of Western 'coercive diplomacy' and 'paternalism'. It posits that China is capitalizing on this by aligning its diplomatic rhetoric with African desires for non-alignment and multipolarity. The author suggests that China's control over supply chains and its 'Global Security Initiative' provide tangible alternatives to Western partnerships, potentially eroding Western influence on the continent.

• African countries are increasingly seeking a multipolar global order to avoid being proxies in a 'new Cold War' between the US and China, drawing on their historical experiences of the original Cold War.
• The varied responses of African nations to UN resolutions condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine reflect a hesitation to support Western-led isolation of Moscow, particularly when such efforts ignore African interests like food and fuel security.
• China is strategically aligning its diplomatic position with African preferences by emphasizing non-interference, dialogue, and the right to autonomous decision-making, contrasting this with perceived Western pressure.
• African perceptions of Western hypocrisy are fueled by comparisons between the response to Ukraine and Western interventions in Iraq (2003), Libya (2011), and the Sahel (2013), as well as the treatment of African refugees fleeing Ukraine.
• China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its strategic partnership with Russia may allow Beijing to fill critical gaps in food and grain supplies for Africa that Western nations might not prioritize due to 'vaccine apartheid'-style provincialism.
• The war in Ukraine may accelerate the adoption of China's Global Security Initiative in Africa, which appeals to countries with strained Western relations by promoting self-determination and rejecting double standards.

APA

Mboya, C. (2022). Africa-China relations could be boosted by the war in Ukraine. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/africa-china-relations-could-be-boosted-by-the-war-in-ukraine

Chicago

Mboya, Cliff. Africa-China relations could be boosted by the war in Ukraine. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2022. https://afripoli.org/africa-china-relations-could-be-boosted-by-the-war-in-ukraine.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mboya |first1=Cliff |title=Africa-China relations could be boosted by the war in Ukraine |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=7 July 2022 |url=https://afripoli.org/africa-china-relations-could-be-boosted-by-the-war-in-ukraine |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mboya2022africachina, author = {Mboya, Cliff}, title = {{Africa-China relations could be boosted by the war in Ukraine}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2022}, month = jul, url = {https://afripoli.org/africa-china-relations-could-be-boosted-by-the-war-in-ukraine}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }