China-Africa partnership needs deeper balance

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

China-Africa relations are at a pivotal moment. As uncertainty intensifies, Africa needs stronger engagement with China to overcome its marginalisation in the global economy.

A balanced partnership in trade, investment, industrialisation and sustainable development can unlock Africa’s economic potential.

Both sides should expand trade, share poverty-reduction expertise, deepen digital cooperation and promote youth entrepreneurship. Greater support for small and medium-sized enterprises is vital for job creation, innovation and inclusive growth.

Green development should be central to the relationship. China and Africa should advance low-carbon development, expand renewable energy, implement the Paris Agreement and strengthen sustainability capacity.

China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 16 years, with two-way trade reaching $348 billion in 2025. Chinese imports from Africa have also grown faster than exports. Fifty-two African countries and the African Union Commission have signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with China. Beijing has helped bridge Africa’s infrastructure gap through investment in transport, energy and industry.

In the first half of 2026, Chinese Belt and Road Initiative investment announcements in Africa rose 254 per cent year on year to a record $33.5 billion, according to the Green Finance and Development Center and Asia Pacific Centre for Industry Transitions.

China has also expanded market access by granting zero-tariff treatment to imports from the 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations, opening opportunities for African exporters. The International Monetary Fund forecasts that Africa’s growth will outpace the global average, with African countries expected to account for seven of the world’s 10 fastest-growing economies in 2025-26.

The African Continental Free Trade Area can strengthen regional value chains, industrialisation and manufacturing investment. Sectors such as agro-processing, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, logistics and digital industries offer opportunities for Chinese technology, investment and skills.

China should invest more in Africa, lower market barriers and expand opportunities for African exporters.

Africa, meanwhile, must move up global value chains by producing value-added goods under the Made in Africa brand, creating jobs and retaining more wealth on the continent. China-Africa cooperation should be judged not only by trade and investment, but by its impact on industrialisation, jobs, resilience and livelihoods.

A partnership based on mutual respect and shared prosperity can advance equitable South-South cooperation.

Reporting originally appeared via Nation Africa. Read the full source for additional context.