...and not just where you might expect it

It’s been spending billions of dollars...

...transforming the infrastructure  of an entire continent...

...building ever closer bonds

Everybody in the equation  wins, Zambia wins, China wins

China has even placed its  only overseas military base...

...in Africa

That gain in influence has alarmed China’s rivals

Our competitors clearly seek...

...to convert soft- and hard-power  investments into political influence...

...strategic access and military advantage

Just how worried should America and its allies be?

In the 1960s, Zambians were celebrating  independence from the British

It was a time of hope and freedom

To open up trade routes, they  had to build a new railway line

It was a monumental infrastructure  project: the TAZARA Railway

And it was funded by China

It was the most expensive...

...infrastructure financing project  that the Chinese had ever done

It was a boost for China’s image  and influence on the continent

In the perception of developing countries...

...and countries that were coming  out of the colonial experience...

...China was seen as a partner  to work with in instances...

...where the West wasn’t interested

TAZARA was only the beginning

By 2022, China had helped lay around 6,000km  of railway lines across the continent...

...amongst thousands of other urgently  needed infrastructure projects

It has built roads in Mozambique...

...hospitals in the Republic of Congo...

...a dam in Sudan

Since 2007, China has financed  more African infrastructure...

...than the next eight overseas lenders combined

But all that investment comes at a price

Much of it is financed by loans

African nations’ total borrowing from  China since 2000 is almost $160bn

Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Zambia and  Kenya account for half of that borrowing...

...though all but a few countries  owe something to China...

...and much of it to state-owned Chinese banks

And there’s more than one way to call in a debt

Africa is a voting bloc of over  50 countries of the United Nations

That is a significant bloc...

...and the Chinese have exploited this

They’ve used this to their  advantage as best as possible

In recent years African nations  have regularly backed China en masse

In 2020, 53 countries issued a statement  supporting China’s crackdown in Hong Kong

Almost half of them were African

Some believe this diplomatic support is driven  by the debt these countries owe China...

...and the supposed control this gives it

They have lured African countries  into what we call debt trap diplomacy

China has extended leases on critical  infrastructure like ports and airports

You have to imagine that if  you were a Chinese rival...

...and China was going around the world and  getting a significant boost to its influence...

...by providing infrastructure

This narrative that China was  actually trying to entrap...

...its partners was a very, very attractive one

It’s a view fuelled not by facts—but suspicion

The terms of many of China’s loans to  African nations are shrouded in secrecy

China doesn’t produce reports and  documents on how much money it’s lending...

...where the money is going

That kind of transparency is not  characteristic of the Chinese system

In the rare cases where researchers  have been able to uncover information...

...it’s clear China plays hardball

All revenues from the Entebbe  airport in Uganda, for example...

...are used to pay the Chinese lender  who helped build it before anyone else

Angola is repaying most of  its loans by guaranteeing oil

In 2020, 61% of its oil exports went to China

Whilst China has never tried to use its loans to  take control of the infrastructure it’s built...

...it is strict about being repaid in full

Some Western institutions, by contrast,  tend to be a little more accommodating

There are more conspicuous signs of  China’s growing power on the continent

In 2017, China established its  first overseas military base...

...in Djibouti

Staffed by over a thousand personnel,  it looks like a direct counter...

...to the presence of America and  its allies just a few miles away

And it’s looking to expand

US intelligence agencies believe  China wants to build a new base...

...on the other side of the  continent—in Equatorial Guinea

China has been arming the continent too

From armoured personnel carriers  in the Central African Republic...

...to, it appears, drones in Ethiopia

China is selling military equipment to  more sub-Saharan African countries...

...than anyone else

China’s presence in African civil  society also continues to grow

And with that presence comes growing influence

63% of Africans think that this is positive

In Ghana, less than half do

My name is Bright Ackwerh and I’m an artist...

...and I’m basically having an  exhibition on the streets of Accra

I put these posters up about a month ago

In Ghana, there are claims that  China’s political influence...

...keeps anti-Chinese news  stories out of the spotlight

Bright makes satirical cartoons—and  displays them where everyone can see

We selected this particular site  because it’s a very, very popular space

And so visibility is very, very high

Bright’s story starts in 2016

Back then, there was outrage in  Ghana against Chinese migrants...

...who were illegally mining  gold, a practice known as galamsey

The mining has severely polluted water supplies...

...but the Ghanian government  was doing little to stop them

Currently look at where I’m standing

The land has been destroyed

All in the name of gold

As an artist, I thought I could  use my voice to speak to the issue

He made this piece

You see the Ghanaian delegation on their knees...

...and the Chinese president  pouring out some dirty water to them

I put this painting up on  my social media channels...

...and someone from the Chinese embassy saw it...

...and a press conference was held and the  Chinese diplomats in the press conference...

...tried to impress on the Ghanaian government  to check, literally check the media...

...and check the artworks they  claimed was defaming their leaders

It’s not the only example of China exploiting  its connections in an attempt to limit criticism

In 2018, a South African journalist  had his column taken away...

...after writing about China’s  treatment of the Uyghurs

A Chinese company had a 20% stake  in the publisher he worked for

Its name? Independent Media

The style of reporting has definitely changed

And a lot of these stories...

...I don’t think they make it to  the mass consciousness anymore

Now China is making bolder moves  on the African media landscape

Fellow Ghanians my name is Poppa StarTimes

StarTimes, enjoy digital life

StarTimes, a Chinese digital TV  operator, has an ambitious vision...

...to give millions of Africans  access to satellite television...

...distributing its hardware across the continent

This deal has been one of the  very, very controversial ones...

...especially regarding how much  influence StarTimes is going to have...

...with regards to what is seen,  what is not seen on our TVs...

...and how much that goes on to dictate  how people largely see the Chinese here

I think it’s an issue that  borders on our democracy...

...and perhaps even our security as a country

In just over a decade, StarTimes has become  one of the leading digital TV operators...

...on the continent...

...with 27m online users

Its service carries hundreds  of African channels...

...affording it increasing  control of the digital airwaves

While StarTimes develops Africa’s  broadcast infrastructure...

...another Chinese company is  transforming its telecoms...

...although perhaps not its advertising

Thanks

Africans have largely welcomed Huawei...

...and its development of the  continent’s 4G internet network

As far as China is concerned...

...what we saw for mining companies...

...what we saw for construction companies,  we’re seeing the exact same thing...

...now for tech

Financing undersea cables  for digital infrastructure

Transsion has the largest share of  any phone manufacturer in Africa

There’s the fear that the Chinese...

...might use the construction of the telecom  systems to spy on African governments...

...and as an extension spy  on Western governments...

...that are doing business  with African governments

I think that concern is legitimate

But I think in a place where the options  aren’t as many or as price-competitive...

...I think the Chinese will  continue to play a very big role

The seeds China planted in Africa  decades ago have spread deep roots

Today, Chinese lending may be slowing...

...but its power and influence over  society and politics on the continent...

...will continue to grow

Western concerns are inevitable—and understandable

But all too frequently, Western  policymakers forget that African leaders...

...and people aren’t just bystanders

This idea that Africans are sort of  bamboozled and sort of tricked...

...into accepting a deal that is  actually not working for them...

...infantilises Africans and  somehow they need Westerners...

...to come and defend them from  the shifty and tricky Chinese

Rather than worrying about what  China is up to in Africa...

...perhaps Western governments  should spend more of their time...

...thinking about their own relationships...

...on the vast and vital continent

There has to be a reassessment...

...of how the West sees Africa  and Africa’s place in the world

Because as far as the Chinese are concerned...

...they think Africa is going to play  an important role in the world...

...and they should be active in Africa

One hopes that the West...

...can adopt the same attitude and  not simply pay attention to Africa...

...because it is a target of Chinese influence

Hi, I’m Gady Epstein, journalist at The Economist

My colleague John McDermott and I recently  wrote a special report on China in Africa

You can read that by clicking the  link and don’t forget to subscribe