Sino-African ties seen pivotal to multipolarity

As the world transitions from decades of Western dominance toward a more multipolar order, African scholars say the China-Africa partnership is emerging as a key force reshaping global politics, trade and governance.

They argue that the relationship, having solidified over the past 70 years since China established diplomatic relations with Africa starting with Egypt, has evolved far beyond trade and infrastructure to include industrialization, green development, digital innovation, critical minerals and reforms to global governance, positioning both sides to play a greater role in shaping the 21st-century global economy.

Humphrey Moshi, a professor of economics and founding director of the Centre for Chinese Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam, said the rise of BRICS+ reflects the emergence of a more equitable multipolar world.

"Given the prominent position of China in such platforms of Global South, Africa is poised to gain tremendously because its voice is being heard and listened to, contrary to the post-Cold War era of unilateral dominance," he said.

Moshi said China is currently Africa's largest trading partner, while Africa has emerged as one of the leading destinations for Chinese foreign direct investment.

According to the customs data, China-Africa trade reached a record $348 billion in 2025, up 17.7 percent year-on-year. China's exports to Africa totaled $225 billion, while imports from Africa reached $123 billion.

A January study by Fudan University in Shanghai found that Africa recorded the highest Belt and Road Initiative engagement last year, totaling $61.2 billion, a 283 percent increase compared with the previous year.

Moshi said the growing China-Africa economic partnership is creating opportunities for industrialization, manufacturing and job creation while delivering significant development gains over the past 26 years through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, or FOCAC.

Moshi identified industrialization, agricultural modernization, renewable energy, including solar and wind power, and skills development as priorities for the next phase of cooperation as African countries pursue green growth and modernization.

Paul Frimpong, founder and executive director of the Ghana-based Africa-China Centre for Policy and Advisory, said the future of the relationship will be determined less by the scale of investment than by the quality of cooperation.

Beyond Infrastructure

He said the partnership is already evolving beyond traditional infrastructure projects toward industrialization, manufacturing, green development, digital innovation and stronger private sector engagement.

Frimpong said the digital economy will become an increasingly important area of collaboration.

Rather than simply importing technology, Frimpong said Africa is seeking a greater role in determining how emerging technologies are governed, with priorities including digital inclusion, affordability, data governance and skills development.

"If this partnership continues to mature, Africa and China could become important contributors to a more diverse and representative global digital ecosystem," Frimpong said.

Beyond economics, both experts said China and Africa are finding common ground in calls to reform international governance institutions.

Frimpong said both sides support a more inclusive and equitable international system that better reflects current global realities.

Through platforms such as the FOCAC, the G20 and the United Nations, he said China and African countries are likely to become increasingly influential parties advocating reforms that give the Global South a stronger voice.

Critical minerals are also expected to become a strategic pillar of future cooperation, as global demand rises for lithium, cobalt, copper, manganese and rare earth elements needed for energy transition, experts said.

Moshi said Africa must seize the opportunity to secure greater benefits from its mineral wealth after decades of limited value addition, unfair contracts and colonial-era extraction models.

Frimpong argued that industrial value addition, renewable energy, digital technologies, critical minerals and skills development will drive China-Africa relations over the next decade.

"African countries are increasingly looking for partnerships that create jobs, transfer technology and strengthen local industries, and I expect those priorities to shape the future of China-Africa cooperation," he said.