China in Africa: Wielding Influence in the Age of Coronavirus

The geopolitical implications of the Covid-19 pandemic continue to play out. For China’s ruling Communist Party (CCP), China’s status as the virus’ origin posed political risks, but the pandemic has also offered the CCP political opportunities. Specifically in Africa, Beijing has positioned itself as the solution to the virus, rather than its origin. Here, the Chinese strategic approach spans a highly diverse and complex set of instruments. The new study by independent China-Africa-Researcher Tom Bayes looks at these instruments and analyses China's strategic response to the Coronavirus in Africa. 

It analyses how China's response to Covid-19 has been used in Africa to demonstrate the alleged benefits of the CCP system - from the day-to-day shaping of narratives to the long-term construction of a global "community of health for all". It examines the growing presence of Chinese state media in Africa, Chinese diplomats' attempts to reach African publics through an increased social media presence, and the CCP's "party diplomacy" targeting Africa's ruling political parties.

Download the complete study on China’s response to the Coronavirus in Africa as a PDF.