Kenyans rate China's influence above US and EU, survey shows
A new Afrobarometer survey indicates that Kenyans view China's economic and political influence more favorably than that of the United States or the European Union. This trend highlights China's growing footprint in African infrastructure and trade.
Why it matters
The shift in public perception reflects the changing geopolitical landscape in Africa as China competes with Western powers for economic influence.
Kenyans view China's influence more positively than that of the United States, a new survey shows, reflecting the shifting balance of global economic power as Beijing expands its trade, infrastructure financing and investment footprint across Africa.
The survey, conducted by the pan-African research group, Afrobarometer, found China enjoys the strongest ratings among external powers at 64 percent, followed by the US at 60 percent.
India was ranked third at 48 percent, ahead of the European Union, which also received favourable assessments from 47 percent of the respondents.
Kenya’s former colonial power, Britain, was ranked fourth, while Russia ranked least of the sampled superpowers.
“China leads the field in African public opinion. Across 38 countries, 62 percent rate China’s economic and political influence as positive, a figure that has held steady since 2019/2021,” says Afrobarometer, a non-profit corporation headquartered in Accra, Ghana.
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