How China Uses Parliamentary Buildings to Build Influence in Africa

China has funded, designed, and built more than 200 government buildings across Africa, including the headquarters of the African Union and Ecowas, foreign ministry annexes in Ghana and Kenya, and at least 15 national parliaments.

Eric and Cobus speak with Innocent Batsani-Ncube, an associate professor of African politics at Queen Mary University of London and author of the new book China and African Parliaments.

Drawing on extensive fieldwork in Lesotho, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, Batsani-Ncube explains how China's parliamentary construction boom works, why African governments welcome it, and what he calls "subtle power"—a form of elite-level influence that sits between soft and sharp power.

📌 Key topics in this episode:

• Why China builds African parliamentary buildings — and why African governments accept them
• "Subtle power" vs. soft power vs. sharp power
• The politics behind construction, design, and land selection
• How these buildings shape legislative capacity and political identity
• Case studies: Lesotho, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Congo-Brazzaville
• Does this compromise sovereignty? Or strengthen parliaments?
• Are these buildings really vectors for Chinese espionage?

📘 Purchase China and African Parliaments by Innocent Batsani-Ncube on Amazon

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