Navigating the U.S.‐China Rivalry: African Leaders' Perspectives on China's Non‐Western Economic Engagement in Africa

This paper explores African leaders' perspectives on China's non‐Western economic engagement amid the intensifying U.S.‐China rivalry. As China expands its influence through infrastructure projects, concessional lending, and trade agreements, African governments are increasingly navigating a balance: capitalizing on Chinese economic opportunities while managing political and diplomatic pressures from Western partners. Using a qualitative methodology that includes document analysis and elite interviews, and framed within a Neo‐realist theoretical lens, this study examines how African states assess Chinese investments and strategic partnerships. Findings indicate that Chinese engagement has significantly contributed to infrastructural development, while also raising concerns about long‐term financial dependency and limited technology transfer. The study concludes that Africa is not a passive arena for great power competition but an emerging actor exercising strategic agency. These insights have important implications for policymakers, international relations scholars, and development practitioners interested in rethinking global partnerships from the perspective of African agency and autonomy.