AU Ambassador on 70 Years of Africa-China Relations, Partnership, Debt & Geopolitics

This week on Inside the Continent, Baillor Jalloh brings you a special interview recorded on location in Beijing, as China and Africa mark 70 years of diplomatic relations. In this candid and wide-ranging conversation, Baillor sits down with Dr. Alhaji Sarjoh Bah, the African Union Ambassador to China, to reflect on seven decades of Africa-China engagement — and to ask what this relationship must become if it is to deliver real value for the continent.

Beyond the official language of partnership and cooperation, this discussion looks at the difficult questions shaping Africa’s future:

Can Africa-China relations become more balanced?

What do current loan renegotiations reveal about the investment model?

How can African countries protect their interests amid growing US-China rivalry?

And what would genuine success look like over the next decade?

Ambassador Bah also reflects on his first year in post, the progress made so far, the areas where change has been slower than hoped, and the role of the African Union in building a stronger, more unified African voice in Beijing. Recorded against the backdrop of a historic anniversary, this episode goes beyond diplomacy to explore what Africa-China relations mean for African economies, governance, sovereignty, development — and ordinary Africans. Watch the full interview and join the conversation.