China turns to soft power to expand economic influence in Africa
President of China Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attend the China-Africa Leaders' Roundtable Dialogue on the last day of the BRICS Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, August 24, 2023.
Beijing is turning to soft power to deepen its footprint in Africa, shifting focus from trade and infrastructure to direct people-to-people engagement as it marks 70 years of diplomatic ties with the continent.
The decision, announced in 2024 during the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), will be implemented extensively this year to complement, not compete with, existing levers of economic and political contacts in Africa.
