CHINA IN THE ERA OF ‘XI JINPING THOUGHT’: FIVE KEY TRENDS FOR AFRICA

The document analyzes the institutionalization of 'Xi Jinping Thought' and its impact on China-Africa relations, highlighting five trends: the centrality of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), support for UN reform, an expanded global military role, and stricter internet governance. It warns that while China offers development alternatives to the West, these trends may increase debt burdens, promote illiberal internet regimes, and increase the militarization of the continent.

• The 19th Party Congress entrenched the power of President Xi Jinping by enshrining 'Xi Jinping Thought' in the CPC constitution, positioning him as a political leader comparable to Mao Zedong.
• There is no clear distinction between the Chinese state and the CPC, and China's capacity-building efforts for African officials and students are framed by CPC doctrine, which seeks to eliminate Western ideas like constitutional democracy and neoliberalism.
• The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is now part of the CPC constitution, making Africa explicitly part of Beijing's foreign policy. While it provides financing opportunities, it may increase debt burdens, as seen with Kenya's NairobiMombasa railway loan, which equaled 6% of the country's GDP.
• China supports the increase of representation and voice for developing countries within the United Nations, and African campaigns for greater UN representation can likely expect Chinese support.
• China is expanding its global military role, having operationalized its first overseas military base in Djibouti in 2017 and participating in peacekeeping in Liberia, Mali, and South Sudan, as well as anti-piracy efforts off the Somali coast.
• China promotes 'Internet sovereignty', viewing the internet as national spaces subject to government control. While there is little evidence China pressures African governments to adopt its censorship, some African leaders view China's model as a prototype; ten African countries closed internet services or blocked social media in 2016.

APA

van Staden, C. (2018). CHINA IN THE ERA OF ‘XI JINPING THOUGHT’: FIVE KEY TRENDS FOR AFRICA. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Policy-Briefing-171.pdf

Chicago

van Staden, Cobus. CHINA IN THE ERA OF ‘XI JINPING THOUGHT’: FIVE KEY TRENDS FOR AFRICA. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2018. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Policy-Briefing-171.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=van Staden |first1=Cobus |title=CHINA IN THE ERA OF ‘XI JINPING THOUGHT’: FIVE KEY TRENDS FOR AFRICA |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=March 2018 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Policy-Briefing-171.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vanstaden2018china, author = {van Staden, Cobus}, title = {{CHINA IN THE ERA OF ‘XI JINPING THOUGHT’: FIVE KEY TRENDS FOR AFRICA}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2018}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Policy-Briefing-171.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }