Since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, China has financed and built hundreds of kilometres of roads, ports, railways and electronic power plants across Africa. These investments, often described as South-South cooperation, nevertheless raise questions about the real nature of China-Africa relations.

The Chinese financing model is mainly based on concessional loans with conditions related to the use of Chinese enterprises and labour. Several African countries, including Zambia, Ethiopia and Kenya, are facing significant debt burdens related to these projects, reviving the debate on the « debt trap ».

However, there are many experts in this table. The infrastructure built meets real needs and contributes to regional economic integration. Several countries have also managed to renegotiate their borrowing terms with Beijing, showing that the relationship is not totally unfavourable.

The challenge for African States is to better negotiate the conditions for such partnerships, diversify their sources of funding and strengthen their technical capacity to oversee and operate such infrastructure in the long term.