As of 2021, exports from China into Africa accumulated to roughly *** billion U.S. dollars. The value increased from *** billion U.S. dollars in 2020. Overall, Chinese trade with African countries has increased in the last two decades. In 2000, Africa imported items from the Asian country at **** billion U.S. dollars. Moreover, a peak in the value of imports from China was registered in 2015 at *** billion U.S. dollars.

Figure 3 depicts China-Africa trade from 2000 to 2013. It shows that China-Africa trade consistently grew since the formation of the FOCAC in 2000. As can be seen in the figure, the US trade with Africa declined after the 2008 global financial crisis, allowing China to take the lead as Africa's largest trading partner. Figure 7 shows trade between China and Africa from 2003 to 2021. Although with fluctuations, trade between the two sides has been increasing since the establishment of the FOCAC mechanism. It reached a first high of US$203 billion in 2015 and then declined significantly the following year. However, the trade increased again from 2017 and surged to US$254 billion in 2021, up by 35% from the previous year. The high trade volume in 2021 has been attributed to the additional Chinese exports of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), such as masks and hazmat suits, as well as pharmaceutical products and testing equipment for the COVID-19 pandemic to Africa. However, Gu et al (2022: 11) indicated that the strong increase in China-Africa trade volume in 2021 is remarkable as data from China's customs agency shows that it is "made up of an increase in both Chinese exports to Africa (29.9% year-on-year) and African exports to China (43.7% year-on-year)". Figure 4 shows the number of countries around the world that have joined China's Belt and Road Initiatiative (BRI). As can be seen in the figure, China's BRI has attracted more than 140 countries. In Africa, the first countries that signed up for the BRI project were East and North African countries such as Kenya, Djibouti, Tanzania and Egypt. In Figure 5, the map shows the number of African countries that have signed up for the BRI since 2015. As can be seen in the figure, 52 countries in Africa had signed some BRI-related Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China by 2022.

Table 1 shows that studies that analysed the China-Africa relationship focusing on their 'strategic partnership' are very few, given the voluminous literature on China and Africa. A search of Sino-Africa studies conducted in English with the term 'strategic partnership' in their titles produced only ten papers (see table). Furthermore, as the table shows, studies investigating the increased security cooperation in China-Africa relations conducted in English are rare, although this part of the debate has also produced numerous research publications. The column titled 'Focus of study' in Table 1 above shows that majority of these studies concentrated on analysing economic cooperation, while a few also included political relations between China and Africa. Also, the column titled 'Definition of strategic partnership' shows that, all these studies, except Akpan and Onya (2018), made no attempts to define the concept of strategic partnership. Figure 8 shows the countries around the world in which the United Nations (UN) has deployed its peacekeepers. As shown in the figure, the UN has deployed several peacekeeping missions around the world since the late 1940s, with most of these operations taking place in the African continent. Figure 9 focuses on the UN’s peacekeeping operations in Africa. As can be seen in the figure, Chinese peacekeeping troops were deployed in five out of the seven UN-led missions on the African continent as of 2019. Figure 12 shows the foreign military bases that currently exist in African countries. As the figure shows, the African Continent is a host to 47 known foreign military bases, of which 34 are United States (US) bases. Figure 13 shows the foreign military bases in Djibouti. As seen in the figure, Djibouti hosts the US' Camp Lemonnier military base, just 13.4 kilometres away from the Chinese PLA's new navy facility, along with military bases of other major powers such as France, Germany and Japan in close proximity. Djibouti thus found itself in the middle of diplomatic tensions between China and the US over fears of a Chinese takeover of the Doraleh Container Terminal, Djibouti's main container port, in 2018, as China financed the development of the port. Figure 6 shows China's Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) commitments from 2006 to 2021. As can be seen in the figure, China's financial pledges to assist Africa increased from US$5 billion to US$60 in 2015. However, they dropped to US$40 billion in 2021. Further, drops in the number of activities, such as official development assistance (ODAs) and capacity building, including reductions in security collaborations, were also noted. However, a new development was China's reallocation of US$10 billion of its Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) towards Africa from the US$40 billion that it received from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

As of 2021, Nigeria and South Africa were the main importers from China in Africa. The two African countries imported from the Asian partner some **** billion and **** billion U.S. dollars, respectively. Chinese exports to Egypt followed closely, with a value of **** billion U.S. dollars. Overall, the trade between African countries and China has been increasing in the last two decades. In 2020, Chinese exports to Africa were valued at ****** billion U.S. dollars.

As of 2021, exports from African countries to China accumulated to nearly *** billion U.S. dollars. The value declined compared to 2020 when exports from Africa to the Asian country amounted to roughly ** billion U.S. dollars. In the last two decades, trade with China, regarding exports from African countries, fluctuated but overall increased strongly. For instance, in 2000, African exports to China yielded only *** billion U.S. dollars.

In 2021, China accounted for around 60 percent of goods exports from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The latter was one of the largest African exporters of goods to China. Angola was also a leading export partner of China, as almost 50 percent of its goods exports were to the Asian country. In 2020, the total export value of goods from Africa to China amounted to roughly 62 billion U.S. dollars.

CN: Yunnan: Export: Africa: Central African Republic data was reported at 342.794 USD th in Sep 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 30.454 USD th for Feb 2021. CN: Yunnan: Export: Africa: Central African Republic data is updated monthly, averaging 14.895 USD th from Oct 2017 (Median) to Sep 2021, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 342.794 USD th in Sep 2021 and a record low of 3.183 USD th in Oct 2017. CN: Yunnan: Export: Africa: Central African Republic data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by General Administration of Customs. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s International Trade – Table CN.JBA: USD: Foreign Trade: Yunnan.

China Export: Africa: Nigeria data was reported at 2.151 USD bn in Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.092 USD bn for Feb 2025. China Export: Africa: Nigeria data is updated monthly, averaging 814.839 USD mn from Jan 2001 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 291 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.484 USD bn in Aug 2021 and a record low of 41.947 USD mn in Jan 2001. China Export: Africa: Nigeria data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by General Administration of Customs. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s International Trade – Table CN.JA: USD: Trade by Country.

As of 2021, South Africa was the main African exporter to China in terms of value. South African exports to the Asian country amounted to around ** billion U.S. dollars. Moreover, Angola exports to China were valued at some **** billion U.S. dollars, while exports from the Democratic Republic of the Congo reached ** billion U.S. dollars.

South Africa Imports from China of Oats was US$8 during 2021, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. South Africa Imports from China of Oats - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on June of 2025.

This statistic illustrates the export value of Chinese food products to South Africa between 2011 and 2021. In 2021, China's food exports to South Africa amounted to around *** million U.S. dollars, up from about *** million U.S. dollars in the previous year.

China Imports from South Africa of Articles of Natural Cork was US$21 during 2021, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. China Imports from South Africa of Articles of Natural Cork - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on July of 2025.

Yunnan: Export: Africa: Melilla data was reported at 0.000 RMB th in Feb 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,272.869 RMB th for Dec 2021. Yunnan: Export: Africa: Melilla data is updated monthly, averaging 636.434 RMB th from Dec 2021 (Median) to Feb 2022, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,272.869 RMB th in Dec 2021 and a record low of 0.000 RMB th in Feb 2022. Yunnan: Export: Africa: Melilla data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by General Administration of Customs. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s International Trade – Table CN.JBA: RMB: Foreign Trade: Yunnan.

China Imports from South Africa of Other Knitted or Crocheted Fabrics was US$616 during 2021, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. China Imports from South Africa of Other Knitted or Crocheted Fabrics - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on June of 2025.

As of October 2021, the European Union (EU) was the main trade partner of Africa. Around ** percent of the total trade from and to the continent involved the European countries in that year. Moreover, ** percent of the trade involved China, while *** percent was from and to India.

China Imports from South Africa of Newsprint, in Rolls or Sheets was US$7.6 Thousand during 2021, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. China Imports from South Africa of Newsprint, in Rolls or Sheets - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on July of 2025.

Gansu: Import: Africa: Chad data was reported at 0.387 USD th in Oct 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.210 USD th for Sep 2021. Gansu: Import: Africa: Chad data is updated monthly, averaging 0.298 USD th from Sep 2021 (Median) to Oct 2021, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.387 USD th in Oct 2021 and a record low of 0.210 USD th in Sep 2021. Gansu: Import: Africa: Chad data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by General Administration of Customs. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s International Trade – Table CN.JBA: USD: Foreign Trade: Gansu.

Gansu: Import: Africa: Burkina Faso data was reported at 11,289.838 USD th in Feb 2021. Gansu: Import: Africa: Burkina Faso data is updated monthly, averaging 11,289.838 USD th from Feb 2021 (Median) to Feb 2021, with 1 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11,289.838 USD th in Feb 2021 and a record low of 11,289.838 USD th in Feb 2021. Gansu: Import: Africa: Burkina Faso data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by General Administration of Customs. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s International Trade – Table CN.JBA: USD: Foreign Trade: Gansu.

This research was conducted China-Africa mining and Quarrying trade using the trade gravity model and analyzing data from 2010 to 2021.

South Africa Exports of tin to China was US$8 during 2021, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. South Africa Exports of tin to China - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on June of 2025.

Hong Kong SAR (China) HK: Imports: Services: South Africa data was reported at 741.000 HKD mn in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 545.000 HKD mn for 2020. Hong Kong SAR (China) HK: Imports: Services: South Africa data is updated yearly, averaging 838.000 HKD mn from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2021, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,026.000 HKD mn in 2005 and a record low of 545.000 HKD mn in 2020. Hong Kong SAR (China) HK: Imports: Services: South Africa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong SAR (China) – Table HK.OECD.TISP: Trade in Services: Imports: by Country: Non OECD Member: Annual.