China’s port role in Africa extends far beyond docks: study
Chinese firms not only operate, finance or hold stakes in about one third of all ports in Africa, but Beijing now also controls the software, automation andartificial intelligence (AI) toolsthat run the. . .
Chinese firms not only operate, finance or hold stakes in about one third of all ports in Africa, but Beijing now also controls the software, automation andartificial intelligence (AI) toolsthat run the infrastructure. And that reach extends well beyond the docks, with Beijing financing and operating the road, rail and warehousing networks connected to these ports and other maritime projects across the continent, closely intertwiningAfrican tradewith China’s own trading systems. These are the findings of a study released last month by the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, which concludes that China has established shipping corridors linking African port clusters to Chinese hub cities such as Qingdao andYantai in Shandong province, reflecting Africa’s deepening integration into China-centred maritime networks. According to the report, Chinese maritime influence spans key routes including theGulf of Aden, Gulf of Guinea and Cape of Good Hope – vital corridors for its energy imports and other seaborne trade that together carry about US$350 billion in annual commerce. Berbera port in Somaliland, on the Gulf of Aden, sits along one of the strategic maritime corridors where Chinese-financed port infrastructure has expanded across Africa. Photo: ShutterstockMuch of this activity stems from Beijing’sBelt and Road Initiative, launched in 2013 to connect China to world markets via improved land and sea routes. Since then, China has invested an estimated US$50 billion in African port infrastructure, according to the centre’s research. China–Africa traderose by nearly 18 per cent in 2025, Chinese customs data show.