A Party with China: Political Party Affiliation and Perceptions of China in African Countries

Most attention on Africa-China relations has centered on China’s economic activities. What remains unclear is the role of partisanship in shaping public perceptions of China in African countries. Since the Chinese government builds a favorable relationship with an incumbent party, incumbent party supporters tend to have positive views toward China whereas opposition party supporters perceive China more critically. This study conducts multilevel mixed-effects regression analyses of public opinion across 32 African countries, and finds that opposition party supporters are indeed more critical of China. While opposition parties are motivated by their office-seeking interests, they also hold an incumbent party accountable. As citizens take cues from parties, partisanship drives people’s views of China when political parties take diverging positions toward China. This study sheds light on the agency of political parties and their supporters in African countries and the mode (instead of volume) of China’s bilateral engagement.