Photo: Time Ukraine Israel
Beijing/Gitega/Mombasa – April 2025. Africa is increasingly being pulled into China’s embrace. From state-of-the-art ports on the Kenyan coast to railways cutting across the savannahs of Tanzania, Chinese investment is no longer just an economic phenomenon. It is a sophisticated geopolitical chessboard where Beijing’s every move changes the continent.
At the summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in Beijing in September 2024, Xi Jinping announced $50 billion in investments by 2027. The priorities are ambitious: the extraction of rare minerals that are essential for electric vehicles and green energy, as well as the infrastructure that ensures their export. However, behind the glitter of the numbers are shadows: debt traps, environmental threats, and loss of sovereignty. Is Africa ready for this game?
Railways empire: the way to resources
The Chinese presence in Africa is primarily concrete, steel and kilometres of rails. The Port of Mombasa in Kenya, the Addis Ababa-Djibouti high-speed railway, and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance hydroelectric power plant – these projects have already changed the landscape of the continent. The $1 billion modernised Tanzania-Zambia railway (Tazara) is just one example.
A new ambitious project is the $2.15 billion Uvinza-Musongati railway, which will connect Tanzania and Burundi. Its length is 282 km, and the goal is to transport 3 million tonnes of minerals annually, including nickel, gold, platinum, and copper, from one of the world’s largest deposits. Chinese companies are building, financing and will likely dictate the rules of operation. This railway is not just a transport artery, but a direct route from the mines to the ports from where the resources will be shipped to China.
The price of “friendship”: debt and dependence
China does not hide its interests. Its railways are being built not to African megacities, but to mines and quarries. Chinese companies, technology, and even labour dominate the contracts. Local economies receive short-term bonuses – jobs, infrastructure – but the long-term risks are much more serious.
The so-called “debt trap” has become a proverbial proverb. African countries take out loans for infrastructure projects, but often cannot service them. In case of default, Beijing may demand the transfer of assets or political concessions. For example, Sri Lanka has already lost the Hambantota port due to its inability to repay a Chinese loan. In Africa, similar scenarios are alarming: Zambia, Kenya, and Djibouti all owe billions of dollars to China. Beijing rarely agrees to restructuring, which increases tensions.
The environmental dimension is no less worrying. Mining for rare earth elements contaminates soil and water, and large-scale construction destroys ecosystems. Local communities, who rarely receive fair compensation, are increasingly protesting.
Geostrategy: Africa as a springboard
For China, Africa is not only a source of raw materials, but also an arena for expanding its influence. Beijing is creating markets for its products, from smartphones to solar panels, while also increasing its political weight. In a region where the influence of the US and Europe is waning, China is filling the vacuum. Its investments ensure the loyalty of African governments in international fora, including the UN.
At the same time, Africa wants more. Leaders in countries such as Tanzania and Nigeria are increasingly vocal about the need for balanced trade. They want China not only to export raw materials but also to invest in processing, creating added value on the continent. So far, Beijing is in no hurry to change its model.
New Africa by Chinese rules?
The Tanzania-Zambia railway, built under Mao Zedong, was a symbol of “selfless friendship”. Modern projects are more a symbol of pragmatism. China is not just building infrastructure, but forming dependencies that could determine the future of the continent for decades to come.
African governments are facing a dilemma: accept Chinese money and risk sovereignty, or look for alternatives, which are still few and far between. While the continent’s leaders are counting kilometres of rail and tonnes of ore, China is methodically building a new reality. Africa is changing – but will it become stronger or more dependent? The answer depends on how smartly the continent plays this big game.
Author : Aleksandr Potetiuiev
