China's influence in Africa's media landscape increasingly operates through content-sharing agreements, journalist training, paid placements, and support for local broadcasters. These "below-the-line" strategies give Chinese narratives a pathway into African newsrooms that extends well beyond the reach of traditional state outlets such as CGTN and Xinhua.

But the push for greater Chinese influence raises a deeper question about decolonization. While Beijing presents its media engagement as an alternative to Western dominance, African journalists can be exposed to models of reporting that do not necessarily fit local political and social realities. At the same time, the shift toward social media makes the actual impact of these efforts increasingly difficult to measure.

Emeka Umejei, a Senior Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg, joins Eric and Cobus to discuss the arguments from his book China in African Media: Between Influence Operations and Decolonization, content-sharing agreements, journalist training, and the future of African media independence.

Show Notes

• China in African Media: Between Influence Operations and Decolonization by Emeka Umejei

📌 Topics Covered in This Episode

• China's evolving media influence across Africa
• The rise of content-sharing agreements with African news outlets
• Journalist training, media exchanges, and the spread of Chinese reporting models
• The tension between China's "decolonization" narrative and African media independence
• How Chinese economic engagement strengthens its media influence
• The shift toward social media and the uncertain impact of foreign media campaigns on African audiences

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China's influence in Latin America is increasingly being built through smaller, less visible deals rather than the headline-grabbing infrastructure projects that defined its engagement in the 2010s. Surveillance technology, electric buses, power networks, critical minerals and subnational partnerships are creating a decentralized web of economic and political ties that can be harder to scrutinize or unwind.

For Washington, the challenge is that pressure on governments to reduce Chinese ties often comes without credible alternatives. Latin American countries, meanwhile, are balancing U.S. security pressure against China's economic complementarity, while seeking to preserve strategic autonomy.

Natalia Cote-Muñoz, the Managing Partner and CEO of Vantage Point Strategies, joins Eric to discuss China's evolving influence in Latin America, the risks of technological dependence, and how the U.S. and regional governments can respond.

Show Notes

• Foreign Affairs - China's Quiet Quest to Dominate Latin America: Small Projects, Big Influence by Natalia Cote-Muñoz

• China's shift from mega-projects to smaller, less visible investments in Latin America
• How subnational partnerships are becoming a key tool of Chinese influence
• The growing risks of technological and infrastructure dependence on China
• Why U.S. efforts to push back against China are often falling short
• Latin American countries' balancing act between China and the United States
• What China, the U.S., and Latin American governments should do differently to manage long-term geopolitical risks

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China's growing appeal in the Global South is increasingly being shaped by everyday commercial experiences, not just diplomacy or cultural exports. Chinese phones, EVs, apps, infrastructure, entertainment, and consumer brands are becoming part of daily life, creating a form of familiarity that may prove more durable than social-media-driven fascination with China.

But this commercial reach carries a major contradiction: the same low-cost Chinese products that benefit consumers can intensify pressure on local manufacturers. Across Southeast Asia, Africa, and elsewhere, governments are responding with tariffs and anti-dumping measures as Chinese firms challenge domestic industries and potentially constrain industrial upgrading.

Lizzi C. Lee, fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis, and Zhuoning Li, a research intern at the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis, join Eric and Cobus to examine China's expanding commercial soft power, including the China-maxing trend, the role of diaspora communities, and the tension between consumer benefits and local industrial competition.

Show Notes

• South China Morning Post: China's brands must outgrow diaspora bubble to hit soft power potential by Lizzi C. Lee and Zhuoning Li
• Foreign Affairs: How China Is Winning Friends and Influencing People by Eric Olander and Lizzi Lee

📌 Topics Covered in This Episode

• Why China is becoming more popular with young people
• The rise of the "China-maxing" trend
• How Chinese brands are building soft power
• Why Chinese products resonate across the Global South
• The role of Chinese diaspora networks
• How affordability is changing consumer markets
• Why Chinese brands can benefit consumers while hurting local industries
• Can China's commercial influence outlast the current trend?

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X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander I @stadenesque I @wstv_lizzi I @AsiaPolicy

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