China’s presence in Africa is often debated through different lenses. Two prominent angles to examine this relationship are through finance and security. Under finance, Beijing has become the continent’s biggest lender, funding roads, ports, and railways.

In security discussions, China’s engagement with Africa is increasing in trade and training.

China is advancing the Global Security Initiative (GSI), a framework that emphasizes sovereignty, non-interference, and development as the foundation for peace, a sharp contrast to Western, military-led approaches. But how is this vision received in Africa, and what does it mean for the continent’s security future?

In this episode, Geraud is joined by Paul Nantulya, a research associate at the Africa Strategic Studies Center in Washington, D.C, to explore these questions with a focus on African agency: how leaders negotiate loans, manage partnerships, and interpret China’s security proposals.

The answers, as Paul explains, reveal a more complex picture than dependency or partnership alone.

SHOW NOTES:

• Africa Center for Strategic Studies: Africa as a Testing Ground for China’s Global Security Initiative by Paul Nantulya

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