China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Strategic Policy Alignments with Sub-Saharan Africa.

Abstract

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a cornerstone of its foreign policy, has significantly reshaped engagement with Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). While promising infrastructure development and economic growth, the BRI's strategic alignment with Sub-Saharan Africa national policies remain complex and contested. This article employs a double-theoretical lens (Realist Theory of Power, and Complex Interdependence Theory) to analyze the contentious debate about BRI projects in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and South Africa. Through qualitative case study analysis, it finds that BRI alignment varies significantly, driven by recipient countries' specific developmental needs, governance structures, and bargaining power. Benefits include critical infrastructure and plugging of funding gaps, while concerns exist on governance challenges, and questions regarding long-term sustainability and local capacity building. The article concludes that realizing mutually beneficial outcomes requires enhanced transparency, robust African agency in negotiations, stronger institutional frameworks for debt management and environmental safeguards, and a conscious effort to foster deeper integration of BRI projects into local industrial and development strategies. Keywords: China, belt and road initiative, strategic policy alignments, sub-Saharan Africa