China’s Health Diplomacy in Africa During COVID-19: An Anthropological Analysis of Solidarity and Strategic Cooperation

Vučinić Nešković Vesna (Filozofski fakultet Univerziteta u Beogradu), vvucinic4@gmail.com
Mikljan Katarina (HD Razvoj, Beograd), postakatarinina@gmail.com

This study explores China’s health diplomacy in Africa during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, employing an anthropological perspective to analyze diplomatic relations. The research question asks: How did the discourses and practices of Chinese medical assistance shape relations with African countries amid a global crisis? The context encompasses the historical cooperation between China and Africa, from independence movements to the Belt and Road Initiative, focusing on the pandemic period characterized by donations of vaccines, medical equipment, and expert teams. Analysis of media sources and reports from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicates fluid diplomatic practices, where discourses of solidarity and strategic cooperation coexist with national priorities. China strengthens its global influence by securing African support in international forums, while Africa leverages aid for health security and developmental goals. The anthropology of diplomacy underscores the importance of understanding the cultural and historical contexts of these relations, where vaccine donations and medical aid foster mutual trust and cooperation. As China promotes the image of a global partner, African countries actively align their priorities with this partnership, striving to achieve their own developmental goals. Future ethnographic research could contribute to a deeper understanding of how local communities perceive this aid, thereby shaping fairer global health policies aligned with African aspirations.

Keywords: anthropology of diplomacy, Chinese medical aid, Africa, COVID-19 pandemic, global health diplomacy.