Is China's Influence in Africa Waning?
Beijing's lending to Africa has fallen 90% from its 2016 peak, stalling projects and fueling resentment — yet China is pivoting to arms sales and military training to keep its grip.
Simon Whistler • February 17, 2026
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Note: this transcript was generated by AI and may contain errors or inconsistencies.
China and African countries are destined to be good friends, good brothers, and good partners. These are the words of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who during a BRICS event in 2018 perfectly captured the growing bonds between China and the continent.
In that year, Chinese Foreign Direct Investment, or FDI, into Africa hit a higher $5.4 billion, and President Xi committed $60 billion to the continent through a combination of grants, interest-free loans, concessional loans, and investments by Chinese companies.
Much of this money was tied to the Belt and Road Initiative that saw the development of massive infrastructural projects. But it wasn't just infrastructure spending.
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