Exploring the Role of Narratives in China-Africa Relations

The report analyzes the competition between Western and Chinese narratives in Africa, specifically debunking the 'debt-trap' narrative and arguing that African states exercise strategic agency by viewing both the US and China as viable partners rather than choosing one in a zero-sum game.

• Afrobarometer survey data from 34 countries indicates that African citizens do not view the US-China rivalry as a zero-sum dilemma; 62% see China's influence as positive, while 60% view the US similarly.
• The 'debt-trap' narrative, which claims China deliberately creates unsustainable debt to seize state assets, is characterized as state-directed disinformation that lacks empirical evidence, as no verified cases of asset seizure have been found.
• African states exercise agency by leveraging Chinese finance to meet domestic goals of structural transformation and nation-building, often finding Chinese creditors more flexible and collaborative than private or commercial lenders during crises.
• There is a disconnect between the preference for China's development model and a rejection of its political system; 70% of surveyed Africans who preferred the China model still favored democracy.

APA

Winter, E., Abimbola, O., & Soulé, F. (2024). Exploring the Role of Narratives in China-Africa Relations. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/exploring-the-role-of-narratives-in-china-africa-relations

Chicago

Winter, Elisabeth, Olumide Abimbola, and Folashadé Soulé. Exploring the Role of Narratives in China-Africa Relations. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2024. https://afripoli.org/exploring-the-role-of-narratives-in-china-africa-relations.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Winter |first1=Elisabeth |last2=Abimbola |first2=Olumide |last3=Soulé |first3=Folashadé |title=Exploring the Role of Narratives in China-Africa Relations |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=12 June 2024 |url=https://afripoli.org/exploring-the-role-of-narratives-in-china-africa-relations |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{winter2024exploring, author = {Winter, Elisabeth and Abimbola, Olumide and Soulé, Folashadé}, title = {{Exploring the Role of Narratives in China-Africa Relations}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2024}, month = jun, url = {https://afripoli.org/exploring-the-role-of-narratives-in-china-africa-relations}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }