As the promises of the 2024 China-Africa Summit move into their implementation phase, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng has begun an African tour, visiting Kenya, South Africa, and Seychelles, illustrating Beijing’s strategy of influence on the African continent.
According to Chinese diplomacy, the objective is no longer merely to announce, but to deliver—financing, industrial projects, infrastructure.
In other words, it is clear and unequivocal: to consolidate key partnerships and project Chinese influence at a pivotal moment.
With a senior official, the choice of stops is highly strategic: first Kenya, East Africa’s logistics hub, embodying major infrastructure projects, such as the Mombasa-Nairobi railway, and especially their regional extensions under negotiation, crucial for connecting inland markets.
Next comes South Africa, the continent’s leading industrial power and China’s main trading partner in Africa, offering the Chinese a channel of influence in international forums, from the G20 to BRICS.
Finally, Seychelles occupies a key position on the maritime routes of the Indian Ocean, at the heart of energy and trade flows.
