Chinese engineering vehicles are loaded onto a China-Africa liner at Yantai Port in Shandong Province for export to Africa on April 27, 2026. (Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via AP)The US-China AI race has once again emerged as a key area of focus in global news headlines, particularly following the conclusion of the recent Trump-Xi Summit and the effective closure of the global AI performance gap between the two countries earlier this year. This is not to say that the two countries are at parity in every dimension of AI performance; they have different advantages in areas such as patent volume, model performance, research output, and investment. Nonetheless, this development signals progress toward China’s stated ambition of becoming a global AI leader by 2030.China’s AI development efforts are unfolding alongside its expanding economic influence on the African continent. Over the past two decades, China has progressed from an emerging donor in Africa to the continent’s largest bilateral creditor. Its strategic position on the continent is creating opportunities for its economic partnerships to intersect with its broader global AI ambitions.To this end, China has deepened and leveraged its economic relationship with African countries in various ways, from educational programs to political exchanges. Of these, however, critical minerals, foreign direct investment in digital infrastructure, and market penetration for Chinese AI models stand out as among the most…

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