China is eyeing superpower status via Africa and the Caribbean. But are they partners or pawns?

Many are questioning whether China’s growing footprint in the Black diaspora is mutually beneficial

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At a high-profile global summit held by China this month, there were strong statements directed at the west’s “bullying” as well as renewed calls to stabilise “global governance”. The meeting was the clearest indication yet that China is vying to become a world superpower, aiming to marshal an anti-western bloc. But the foundations of that position partly lie in Africa and the Caribbean, where China has been building relationships for decades.