TOKYO — Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to meet his financial commitments to Africa as the continent's leaders gather in Beijing on Wednesday for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, even as his government is expected to downsize to reduce debt risks.
The forum is one of the largest diplomatic gatherings in the world, with representatives from almost all of Africa – 53 out of 54 countries, Eswatini being the only exception. For China, this is an important opportunity to exert influence through cooperation and aid, especially as other countries also strengthen their ties with the resource-rich but economically underdeveloped continent.