Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Editor's Note:

As 2026 marks the Year of China-Africa People-to-People Exchanges, friendship between the people forms the vital cornerstone of China-Africa ties, and the cultural and people-to-people exchanges serve as the enduring engine of intergenerational friendship between China and Africa. 

The Global Times, in collaboration with South Africa's Independent Media, has launched a series titled "Global South Dialogue." We have invited Chinese and African experts and scholars to engage in in-depth discussions on a wide range of topics related to China-Africa relations and their international context. The fifth installment of the series featured discussions on the theme of "Fostering China-Africa a civilizational dialogue to build a 'Global South narrative.'"


Countering West's 'universal' narrative with the China-Africa achievements

Goitom Tatek Bisrat, a member of the Office of the President, special assistant on Diplomatic and International Relations of Ethiopia

The long-standing Western media narratives on Africa constitute a profound deviation from reality, built upon a reductive "single story" which reduces a continent of 54 diverse countries to a monolithic entity perpetually defined by a trinity of crises: poverty, conflicts and diseases. This lens often omits Africa's dynamic economies, technological innovations, rich cultural tapestry and complex political agency.

Furthermore, it frequently operates through a paternalistic paradigm, portraying Africa as a passive recipient of Western aid or a theater for humanitarian intervention, rather than as an active architect of its own future. These distortions are not mere misrepresentations; they shape global policies, investment perceptions and even the continent's own internal sense of possibility.

Jointly building a "Global South narrative network" is not about replacing one propaganda apparatus with another, but about constructing a pluralistic, platform-based ecosystem for mutual and autonomous storytelling. The foundation must be equitable media cooperation mechanisms. This involves moving beyond simple content exchange to co-producing documentaries and reflecting China-Africa partnerships in their full complexity, acknowledging both successes and challenges. 

Monica Cheru Mpambawashe, founder of media Zim Now 

Western media narratives on Africa rely on a narrow frame. Underdevelopment is attributed to weak democracy and corruption, as if poverty began with the end of colonialism. This sidelines deeper historical and structural drivers, including continuing colonial extraction and externally imposed economic and governance models that cap value addition and long-term growth.

Pro-Western media narratives position Africa's challenges as self-inflicted or Chinese-engineered. This creates double standards. Western-owned mines operating across Africa are never held publicly responsible for building roads, schools, hospitals, or power infrastructure, but Chinese enterprises are always building roads, schools, hospitals, or power infrastructure.

"Debt trap" scrutiny is almost exclusively reserved for Chinese investment, deliberately creating a false narrative that is not supported by facts. Most Chinese funding has resulted in tangible development, like the Hwange Units 7 and 8 expansion project in Zimbabwe, with its goal being to close the gap in the current power supply by adding 600 megawatts of electricity to the national grid, as well as major airport upgrades, and road and industrial projects.

Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University

A "Global South narrative network" is, in essence, an institutional project through which the Global South seeks to reshape narrative power, knowledge production rights and agenda-setting power within the international communication system. China and Africa's joint construction of this network serves as both a structural response to the long-standing "Western-centric narrative" and a deep resonance with the political mutual trust, development experiences and institutional paths shared among Global South countries.

In terms of the strategic positioning, the goal of jointly building a Global South narrative network should not be limited to promoting or shaping the international images of China and Africa. Instead, it should be grounded in the solid foundation of China-Africa cooperation, breaking the Western-dominated theories, indicators and evaluation systems, and enhancing the Global South's definitional authority over issues such as development, governance and modernization.

Allawi Ssemanda, founder of the Sino-Uganda Research Centre

We see that Western thinkers and theorists argue for and promote one Western civilization. But as China promotes "a single flower does not make spring, while one hundred flowers in full blossom bring spring to the garden." If there were only one kind of flower in the world, people would find it boring no matter how beautiful it is. Be it the Chinese civilization, or other civilizations in the world, they are all fruits of human progress. This is what we must promote.

Next year, in 2026, the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges will commence, as announced by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "…throughout the year, guided by the principles of people-centered engagement, cross-cultural synergy and shared benefits, China and Africa will carry out wide-ranging activities that involve diverse communities and sectors, focusing on education, culture, tourism, publishing, sports, science and technology, people's livelihood and green development, pooling the strengths of youth, women, media and think tanks, and mobilizing resources at sub-national and nongovernmental levels." This strategic plan provides both excitement and hope as we look to the future of people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning. We must use the year 2026 to shape the public narrative of China-Africa cooperation.


Building a 'Global South youth discourse circle' through cross-platform collaboration

Monica Cheru Mpambawashe: Media must meet youth on short-form video platforms, interactive spaces and cultural communities.

Cross-continental pop culture challenges around innovation, climate solutions, music, sport, fashion and entrepreneurship allow young people to tell stories through their lived experience. An Ethiopian software developer collaborating with a Chinese hardware innovator offers a stronger narrative than abstract commentary.

Media organizations can accelerate this through youth creator exchange programs that support co-produced content rooted in curiosity, humor and everyday life.

Song Wei: In the era of social media, we should fully empower Chinese and African youths to play a leading role - positioning them as producers, connectors and agenda-setters of narratives - to maximize the impact and influence of jointly building a "Global South narrative."

The "Global South narrative" cannot overlook topics that resonate with Global South youth, such as employment, entrepreneurship, urban life, cultural consumption and technology applications. At the same time, diverse formats - short videos, podcasts, photo-text stories and mini-documentaries - should be leveraged, with an emphasis on interactivity and cross-border discussions. Through cross-platform collaboration, a vibrant "Global South youth discourse circle" can take shape.

Allawi Ssemanda: The world of fashion and design is another great avenue for exploring people-to-people interaction between Africa and China. Africa has one of the most diverse mixes of people in the world, with a variety of styles and fashions. It also has a large and growing population, especially of young people. These young people all want to explore the fashion and dress their best. Therefore, there is a lot to benefit from investing in the textile industries of Africa.

In reciprocation, many African designers are increasingly attending Chinese fashion shows, especially the Shanghai Fashion Week. Chinese designers and fashion brands are taking the mantle to interpret African fashion and incorporate it in their designs to create African prints and aesthetics in their textiles. 


Co-authoring a Global South story owned by its people

Goitom Tatek Bisrat: Deepening cooperation must extend into strategic areas crucial for the 21st century information landscape. Cognitive security, which is protecting the intellectual sovereignty and historical narratives of nations from manipulative foreign influence is a shared concern. Joint research on identifying and analyzing disinformation campaigns targeting both regions is essential. This leads directly to collaborative disinformation governance, developing early warning systems and sharing the best practices in fact-checking, while firmly opposing any hegemonic control over global information flows under the guise of "internet freedom." 

Furthermore, partnerships in digital infrastructure and platform governance are key. As China and African countries develop their own digital ecosystems and satellite networks, they can ensure these platforms are designed with algorithms that promote diverse Global South content, rather than reinforcing Western-centric trends.

Ultimately, the goal is not to erect new walls but to open windows to ensure the stories of China-Africa collaboration, African innovation and shared aspirations are told with the nuance, respect and volume they deserve. They can move from being objects of a narrative to being its authors, crafting a story of the Global South that is finally multidimensional, authentic and owned by its people.

Allawi Ssemanda: Another positive trend that we should support and encourage is the translation of works of literature from our two civilizations. Already, Chinese classics are being translated into African languages. We have also witnessed the translation of classic African literature into Chinese by great-name writers like Chinua Achebe, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This cross-fertilization of literature has introduced Chinese readers to African perspectives on colonialism, development and modernity and also informed African readers about Chinese history and culture.