Global power dynamics in Africa are shifting, with China eclipsing the influence of the US and France. China has become Africa’s single largest trading partner.
In response, media and policymakers in traditionally dominant states are increasingly using maps drenched in red or stamped with Chinese flags to depict Beijing’s expanding footprint. One map reproduced by a US congressional committee, for instance, showed Beijing’s influence and reach across the continent in red stripes.
But these visuals oversimplify a complex reality. This is an issue I explore in a new study. For over a decade, I have researched the interactions of sub-Saharan Africa with other states like Turkey, Arab Gulf states, Japan and China.
