Soft Power in African Nations: Where do China and the U.S. stand today?

By Finn Keenan 

The United States is losing soft power, or its ability to influence nations through diplomacy rather than coercion, in Africa while China is gaining ground. Still, there is hope for African autonomy and American soft power on the continent because of flaws in American and Chinese aid. In his second term, Trump has slashed medical aid and military assistance to Africa impacting millions. Most of the twelve billion dollars in annual aid to Africa formerly provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is now gone. Out of the 10 countries that received the most US aid, six were in Africa (Kohnert, 2025). In addition, the cuts result in $704 million less for nutrition programs overall and $290 million less for severe acute malnutrition treatment (Kohnert, 2024). Some predictions state that USAID cuts will lead to 14 million deaths globally by 2030 (Caravanti et. al, 2025). 

Steadfast in developing relationships with African countries, China is funding and building over 10,000 kilometers of railway lines, 100,000 kilometers of roads, and several key bridges and ports across Africa (Runde et. al, 2024; Bature, 2025). In turn, there have been great increases in Africa’s growth and regional connectivity and China’s long-term access to vital raw materials, including more than 30% of the world’s mineral reserves, including 70% of global cobalt, 90% of platinum, and significant deposits of lithium and rare. These materials are essential for electric vehicles, batteries, and green energy technologies (Bature, 2025). China is greatly improving its ties to African economies and the quality of life for Africans. Moreover, China has differentiated itself in its approach. For instance, Western economic models typically focus on “governance conditionalities" or partnerships conditioned on Western style reform (which became more selective in the post-Cold War era) (Bature, 2025, p. 67). By fostering mutual partnerships, some African Scholars have come to see China-African relations as genuine cooperation between countries in the global south (i.e. countries in the Southern Hemisphere that have traditionally been exploited by Western powers) (Bature, 2025). However, these growing relationships are not without their risks. 

Unfortunately, China’s soft-power is limited by the debt that these economic relationships give to African nations. For instance, for every one dollar given in aid to African countries China also gives nine dollars of debt (Runde et. al, 2024). To better understand the nature of these relationships, consider China's current economic standing with an Asian country, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka currently owes China $8 billion in debt, $1.1 billion of which was used to construct a single port. Even though Sri Lanka agreed to lease the port to China for 99 years in 2017 to reduce its debt, Sri Lanka had to negotiate its debt again when it defaulted in 2022 (Runde et. al, 2024). Although China’s investments are improving countries’ infrastructure, these agreements often end up being primarily beneficial to China. While agreements between China and African nations can stimulate development, it is evident that they can also stifle economic autonomy.  

Beyond providing fair economic deals that promote sustainable development, the United States must reevaluate its soft power approach in Asia to curb China’s military capacity. For instance, out of its 70 investments in docks in the Global South, China’s navy could now potentially use 55 ports. However, the Chinese navy is more likely to only use the ten ports that are fully owned by China (Runde et. al, 2024). In this way, China’s increased infrastructure investment in Africa is benefitting China by giving its military more strategic strongholds throughout the world. China’s military is gaining power through diplomacy and soft power rather than coercion. Moreover, China has created a state-owned digital logistics platform called Logink (also known as the National Transportation and Logistics Public Information Platform). At least 24 ports have adapted the Logink system globally, which could provide China access to confidential data about their reports (Runde et. al, 2024). This presents a threat to the United States, a major trade and military competitor with China. 

However, there is still soft power to be salvaged because of flaws in USAID. For instance, many Sierra Leoneans described how they hadn’t understood what funding actually came from the U.S. because it was dispersed through many NGOs and it's common for social programs to come and go (Kardas-Nelson, 2025). Additionally, some argue that U.S. aid practices in themselves were a tool of neoliberalism and “fraught with contradictions” (Kohhnert, 2025, p. 1). U.S. Aid took shape in neoliberal frameworks through privatization and deregulation policies, such as Structural Adjustment Programs in the 1980s, which often hurt local economies. Moreover, USAID displaced traditional agrarian practices by prioritizing large-scale agribusiness, thereby forcing African farmers to become dependent on imported seeds and catalyzing food insecurity across the continent (Kohnert, 2025). Despite these flaws, the lived realities of cuts to USAID are and will continue to be devastating. 

In hope of a future administration, it is crucial to consider some components of a successful aid system focused on holistically empowering African nations rather than strengthening neoliberal interests.The United States has dramatically damaged its soft power on the African continent through cuts to USAID funding. Simultaneously, China’s soft power in Africa is increasingly growing through its investments and increased capabilities on the continent. However, the Africans’ familiarity with instability and the debt created by China’s investments gives the United States room to regain lost ground on soft power in China. To do so, the United States must reframe its approach to foreign aid to truly promote systemic change and economic autonomy in Africa. In turn, the United States will experience public support from Africans and stronger diplomatic ties to Africa. In an increasingly multipolar world, it is crucial that the United States sustains and builds relationships with African nations to be a good member of the global community and to advance its own interests contrary to China.

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