As France tries to reset relations with Africa, China’s influence looms large

AdvertisementChina-Africa relationsChinaDiplomacyAs France tries to reset relations with Africa, China’s influence looms large

Paris pitches a €23 billion investment ‘jolt’ to win over countries like Kenya after losing ground in the Sahel

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Jevans NyabiagePublished: 2:00pm, 23 May 2026

France has committed €23 billion (US$26.7 billion) to Africa’s private sector in a bid to counter Chinese dominance and rebuild its influence on the continent.

Speaking at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi earlier this month, President Emmanuel Macron pitched the investment as a “jolt” to reset relations, positioning Europe as a partner for Africa’s “strategic autonomy” as the geopolitical race with Beijing heats up.

The move marks a major shift as Paris tries to win over anglophone countries such as Kenya after losing ground in the Sahel, where coups and anti-French sentiment have seen Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger cut ties in favour of Beijing and Moscow.

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By co-hosting the summit with Kenya, Macron bypassed the historical baggage of “Françafrique” and challenged what he described as China’s “predatory logic”.

Analysts said Beijing’s deep roots in infrastructure and focus on development needs had already changed the continent’s external power balance.

Sanusha Naidu, a senior research associate at the Institute for Global Dialogue in Cape Town, described the summit as a form of “strategic hedging” and said it marked a symbolic shift.

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