Seizing Opportunities Amid Global Shifts

Africa’s strategic position in the world has seen a continuous rise in recent years. From the growing importance of Global South cooperation to the surging demand for strategic resources such as critical minerals, multiple factors have converged to make Africa a focal point of international attention. According to data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Africa attracted $97 billion in foreign direct investment in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 75 percent. This remarkable growth underscores the accelerating trend of deeper international engagement with Africa.

Africa’s international partners are intensifying their outreach to the continent, each guided by their own strategic considerations. With an aim to increase its investment in Africa’s green transition, digital transformation, and health care systems, the European Union has pledged €300 billion ($354 billion) through its Global Gateway initiative.

The US, meanwhile, has committed $4 billion to advance the Lobito Corridor, signalling a growing emphasis on Africa in its foreign policy agenda. The Trump administration’s slogan, “Trade, not Aid,” reflects a broader shift from traditional aid towards trade and investment. Russia, leveraging its strengths in food security, defence, and energy development, continues to expand its footprint in Central and West Africa, aiming to fill the vacuum left by the retreat of the US and France.

At the recently concluded Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba unveiled a new initiative to support Africa’s economic growth – the Indian Ocean and Africa Economic Zone. Meanwhile, emerging markets such as Türkiye have also intensified their engagement and cooperation with the continent.

Strategic importance 

What is the significance of this strategic competition among major powers for Africa? With calm judgment and strategic resolve, African countries can turn this attention into a historic opportunity.

Yet, the current wave of global interest, while highlighting the continent’s rising potential and strategic importance, also exposes the uncertainties it faces. African nations must clearly recognise that the serious security challenges – such as the civil war in Sudan and recurrent terrorist attacks in the Sahel – can undermine this progress.

Moreover, African economies are facing external pressures. Growing major-power competition continues to constrain the space for Africa’s independent development, with key states like South Africa and Angola bearing the brunt. Trade restrictions, such as the indiscriminate tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, have further complicated Africa’s integration into global markets, intensifying the challenges it faces in the global economic order.

Under the banner of “great-power competition,” the US has pressured countries to take sides. This approach exacerbates instability in an already fragile environment. Simultaneously, under the slogan of “America First,” unilateral and protectionist policies are imposed systematically.

Building consensus

Standing at this historic crossroads, Africa’s best strategy is to strengthen unity and cooperation, consolidate consensus, and firmly adhere to an independent development path. The continent should actively expand its network of partners while working pragmatically towards an international order more favourable to its interests.

It is important to stress the need to move beyond zero-sum competition towards a cooperation model grounded in mutual benefit, win-win outcomes, and inclusive growth. Current international discourse too often frames Africa as an arena of great-power rivalry, centring on competition over critical minerals, export of technological standards, and the deployment of economic corridors. 

However, such competitive logic should not dominate the narrative. Africa should work to dismantle the barriers created by zero-sum games and pursue proactive, coordinated policies that foster an open, inclusive and sustainable paradigm of global cooperation. Special emphasis must be placed on integrating and optimising the diverse initiatives and resources of different countries to generate a true multiplier effect and achieve win-win outcomes.

A stable and predictable market environment is equally crucial. African nations should create transparent and well-regulated business climates while maintaining a balance between resource autonomy and international cooperation, particularly in strategic sectors such as critical minerals. Strengthening oversight of resource development is essential, but excessive “resource nationalism” may deter investment and undermine credibility. 

From declaration to implementation

Perhaps the greatest challenge lies in ensuring that ambitious initiatives translate into tangible results.

Many global pledges remain little more than political declarations, with limited concrete follow-through. African countries should harness the heightened international attention to institutionalise cooperation mechanisms and establish clear benchmarks for implementation. Converting consensus into actionable projects aligned with long-term development priorities is essential if Africa is to secure lasting benefits. In short, against the backdrop of its growing international profile, African countries need to work harder individually and collectively as a region to build consensus and adopt wise policies. 

As Africa seeks to navigate this complex landscape, China has consistently supported it in exploring its independent development path. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. At last year’s Beijing Summit, China elevated its bilateral relations with all African countries that have diplomatic ties with China to the strategic level, ushering in a new stage of jointly building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

China has stressed African self-reliance, integration, and unity, positioning itself as a partner in Africa’s strategic transformation. This constitutes the strategic significance of China-Africa cooperation in the new era.

The author is Assistant Research Fellow of China Institute of International Studies.