In Africa, China values party-to-party ties for stronger political and economic relations

African countries with closer party-to-party relations with China’s Communist Party also tend to enjoy stronger economic relations with the Asian economic giant, analysts say.

Since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has held a flurry of meetings – either online or in person, in China or in Africa – with African political parties to reboot political and economic relations.

The Communist Party maintains ties with more than 100 political parties across Africa – although not in eSwatini, which recognises Taiwan.

The party has a long history of building relationships with political parties or movements in African countries such as Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Angola and Mozambique and provided them with military and ideological training during their struggle for independence.

The relationships have remained robust and many of these parties and movements continued to hold joint training with the CPC over the decades.