China’s Scientific Cooperation with Africa
Li, H., & Cheng, H. (2026). China’s Scientific Cooperation with Africa. Megatrends Afrika, Megatrends Spotlight 83.
Description
China’s scientific and technological cooperation with Africa has expanded from longstanding cooperation in public health and agriculture into areas including digital transformation, satellite and remote-sensing technologies, joint laboratories, agricultural modernization, green development, and science and technology capacity building. Rather than reflecting a single centrally directed strategy, this cooperation is shaped by the interaction between state-led frameworks and bottom-up initiatives involving Chinese companies, universities, and individual researchers, as well as African governments and research institutions.
The commentary highlights how Africa has become an important region in which Chinese technologies can be deployed, adapted, and scaled across different sectors. It examines examples including the China–Africa Science and Technology Partnership Program (CASTEP), BeiDou applications, cooperation between Chinese technology firms and African universities, and China Agricultural University’s “China-Africa Science and Technology Backyard” initiatives. The authors argue that understanding these changing research networks is increasingly important for German and European policymakers seeking to develop more strategic approaches to international science, innovation, and technological cooperation.