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 and artificial intelligence (AI) tools that 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 intertwining African trade with 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 and Yantai in Shandong province, reflecting Africa’s deepening integration into China-centred maritime networks.
According to the report, Chinese maritime influence spans key routes including the Gulf 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.
Much of this activity stems from Beijing’s Belt 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 trade rose by nearly 18 per cent in 2025, Chinese customs data show.