Omanghana
Experts say China is changing the way it works with African countries, moving away from the old “Angola Model” of large loans and major infrastructure projects toward a new approach known as the “Hunan Model.”
The older model focused mainly on financing roads, railways, ports, and other large infrastructure in exchange for access to oil and minerals. The new strategy places greater emphasis on investment, local manufacturing, industrial partnerships, and technology transfer.
The approach is named after the Chinese province of Hunan Province, which has become a leading center for China’s engagement with Africa.
Analysts say the ongoing conflict involving Iran is accelerating this shift. Instability in the Middle East and disruptions to traditional shipping routes are forcing Beijing to diversify its economic and energy partnerships more quickly, with Africa becoming increasingly important.
Under the new model, China is placing less emphasis on massive infrastructure deals and more attention on smaller, community-level projects that can deliver faster and more visible benefits.
These “small and beautiful” projects are designed to avoid the debt problems that some African countries experienced under earlier Chinese-backed mega-projects.
Another major feature of the Hunan Model is the rapid growth of Chinese green technology exports to Africa. China is increasingly shipping what it calls the “new three items” to African markets: electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar photovoltaic products.
Chinese companies are also investing more in local assembly plants and mineral processing facilities in Africa instead of simply exporting raw materials back to China.
For example, China has recently supported the creation of a rare minerals research hub in Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, to strengthen cooperation on processing and using Africa’s mineral resources.
Researchers from The Conversation and the Stimson Center argue that instability in the Middle East is reshaping China’s global priorities.
Disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have encouraged China to look more closely at North African countries such as Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt as new sources of energy, including oil, natural gas, and green hydrogen.
China is also accelerating its own shift toward electric vehicles and renewable energy to reduce dependence on imported oil and gas. At the same time, it is looking for new markets in Africa and other developing regions to sell its growing output of green technology products.
Analysts say China is strengthening trade ties with African countries partly to protect itself from global economic uncertainty, including Western trade restrictions and the risk of further regional conflicts.
However, experts warn that the new strategy still carries risks for Africa. Chinese exports to Africa reportedly grew by 17.7 percent in 2025, while African exports to China increased by only 5.4 percent. This means the trade imbalance between the two sides continues to widen.
As a result, many analysts believe African countries must do more to build their own industries and supply chains so they do not remain only consumers of Chinese-made products. Instead, they argue that African governments should use these new partnerships to expand local manufacturing, create jobs, and add more value to their own natural resources.
Source: Omanghana
