From supporting Africa”s liberation movements to becoming the continent’s major trading and development partner, China’s relationship with Africa has undergone a profound transformation over the past several decades.
As the Communist Party of China marks the 105th anniversary of its founding on July 1, African experts say the evolution of China-Africa ties offers valuable experience for South-South cooperation and Africa’s pursuit of modernization, while creating new opportunities in industrialization, technology, green development and global governance.
For many observers, the partnership reflects both China’s own development journey under the CPC — from an impoverished country to the world’s second-largest economy — and the growing importance of cooperation among developing countries in addressing shared challenges.
Alhaji Sarjoh Bah, permanent representative of the African Union to China, said the evolution of China-Africa ties demonstrates what can be achieved when partnerships are built on sovereign equality, mutual respect, noninterference and shared development goals.
The relationship has evolved from solidarity during Africa’s liberation struggles to strategic coordination on global governance, Bah said.
He described the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2000 as a milestone that transformed a long-standing friendship into a structured framework for practical cooperation, turning commitments into projects in infrastructure, energy, healthcare, technology, education and other sectors.
“These areas are central to implementing Agenda 2063 and Africa’s aspiration to become an integrated, prosperous and peaceful continent driven by its own citizens,” he said.
Bah added that Africa and China should deepen coordination in multilateral institutions, support the aspirations of the Global South, advance global governance reform, and uphold the United Nations Charter, international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Raphael Obonyo, a Kenyan public policy analyst, said China’s modernization under the CPC’s leadership has significantly shaped its engagement with Africa.
“China has grown from a low economic base into the world’s second-largest economy through visionary leadership, structural transformation and poverty reduction,” he said.
“That experience continues to shape China’s cooperation with Africa, moving beyond aid and infrastructure toward a more strategic partnership focused on long-term development.”
Obonyo said infrastructure remains one of the partnership’s most visible outcomes, while collaboration has expanded into healthcare, peace and security, and people-to-people exchanges.
China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for more than a decade and one of its leading sources of development financing, he said. African countries should make greater use of China’s zero-tariff policy to boost manufacturing and accelerate industrialization, he added.
Valuable experience
Gordon K’achola, founder of the Africa Center for Diplomatic Affairs in Nairobi, said China’s development under the CPC offers valuable experience for African countries pursuing their own paths to modernization.
“The relationship between China and Africa started with China’s support for African countries in their anti-colonial struggles. Today, it encompasses trade, investment, infrastructure, technology, education and healthcare,” he said.
Lemmy Nyongesa Mulaku, a Kenyan expert on China-Africa relations, said the partnership has passed through three phases over the past 60 years.
“In the 1960s, China-Africa ties were largely driven by anti-colonial solidarity and the broader East-West ideological divide,” he said.
The relationship later evolved into large-scale infrastructure investment and is now increasingly centered on Africa’s modernization and technological integration, he said.
Mulaku said China’s engagement has expanded beyond infrastructure financing to helping African countries harness emerging technologies.
“Africa has abundant strategic minerals and a young population, while China offers technology, capital and industrial experience,” he said.
Deeper collaboration in AI, advanced manufacturing and digital infrastructure can accelerate Africa’s integration into global value chains and support sustainable development for both sides, he added.
Despite shifts in the international landscape, the experts agreed that China-Africa ties have matured into one of the world’s most significant examples of South-South cooperation.
