While Africa is emerging as fertile ground for China’s drive to make the yuan a major international currency and reduce the continent’s reliance on the U.S. dollar, America and Western hawks are admitting their strategy to stifle Chinese development.

Nigeria recently signed up for China’s “zero-tariff policy,” which, according to some analysts, could be strategic to Africa’s future and to the continent’s economic transformation. “The Zero-Tariff policy commenced in earnest on May 1, 2026, and it is instructive that the results so far have been impressive, with positive outcomes promising to change the fortunes of Africa for the better by facilitating open access for products into the Chinese market,” noted an article by Innocent Odoh on Leadership.ng, titled, “China’s Zero-Tariff Policy As New Dimension For Africa’s Prosperity.”

A 2025 panel discussion that included former British Prime Minister Liz Truss and Quincey Institute for Responsible Statecraft affiliate international relations scholar John Mearsheimer noted that the containment of China is being “notably analyzed” because of the Asian country’s unequaled “growth trajectory,” despite restraint efforts by the West.

The discussion was held on Global Impulse Media, an online digital content brand that focuses on global current events, technology developments and geopolitical shifts. The discussion exposed the fundamental hypocrisy of Western globalism.

During the panel discussion Chinese venture capitalist, political scientist and commentator Eric X. Li, gave substance to China as a global powerhouse. He challenged Mearsheimer’s claim, that, “We made China into a Godzilla, and it’s come back to haunt us.”

Li countered by explaining in the “beginning” that decades ago America and Western countries “were at the core of globalization” but that developing countries, including China were at the “periphery.” “… the division of labor was clear. The U.S. and western Europe were in charge of R&D (research and development) and finance and military. We were resigned to do cheap labor and sell natural resources, if we had them. China didn’t have them, but others had them,” Li said.

“China grew and moved up the value chain, meaning China left their designation of handling manufacturing and assembly,” he continued. According to Li, “Unfortunately the U.S. and certain Western countries thought, or perceived this as a threat. So, they didn’t want to do that anymore. So, globalization is in trouble.”

Former UK Prime Minister Truss claimed China’s development was enabled by allegedly being able to “cheat” the system. “We’ve moved into a multi polar world. What I think happened is the West actually enabled the rise of China by allowing China into the World Trade Organization (WTO), by allowing China to flout the rules of trade and cheat the system. And what I think we’re now seeing under President Trump is a push back,” she argued.

China joined the WTO in 2001. Li once again pushed back on Truss’ claim. “I’m not sure where that came from? When China signed up to the WTO it wasn’t told that it was signing up to the liberal international order. There was no such thing. It was made up in retrospect. It didn’t happen. This is the hubris of Western capitalism. Washington believed if you gave a country enough McDonald’s, it would automatically turn into a Western liberal democracy, let’s be honest, America and its Western cronies never cared about the liberal international order. When it came to trade it happily traded with Saudi Arabia, and for decades armed Arab Gulf monarchs without demanding they ever hold democratic elections. The democracy requirement was only retroactively applied to China when China became a peer competitor,” he countered.

As China grows stronger and its global position expands, the U.S. and its Western allies are threatened its growing influence in the Global South, including Africa.

The Chinese currency, the yuan, could soon be Africa’s most important currency. As China’s largest trading partner, it opens the possibility of making the yuan more important than the dollar on the continent.

Africa’s banks are signing up for China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), smoothing transactions and potentially avoiding sanctions.

“Africa is emerging as fertile ground for Beijing’s drive to make the yuan a major international currency and reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar, as an increasing number of financial institutions deepen their integration with China’s payment network,” South China Morning Post reported.

The outlet also reported that after talks in Beijing between Central Bank of Libya Governor Naji Issa and People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng in July, the North African country’s banks were set to join CIPS.

“The move will facilitate direct yuan interbank payments for trade. According to the state-run Libyan News Agency, joining the network will streamline commercial transactions, accelerate cross-border transfers and boost trade flows. Libya also plans to tap into China’s capital market by issuing panda bonds—yuan-denominated debt sold by foreign entities in mainland China—which could help fund the country’s reconstruction following years of conflict,” explained the South China Morning Post.

China’s campaign to expand its global usage of its currency has gained another foothold in Africa after oil-rich Angola allowed commercial banks to use the Chinese currency to meet part of their mandatory foreign-currency reserve requirements.

China has stepped up initiatives to encourage the use of its currency in trade settlements, cross-border payments and reserve management, particularly across emerging markets where Chinese trade and investment have grown rapidly. Recently Beijing’s central bank authorized new Renminbi clearing arrangements on the continent through major banking partners, making it easier for businesses across the continent to settle transactions directly in yuan.

“The growing adoption of the Chinese currency is being driven not only by Beijing’s ambitions but also by efforts among some emerging economies to diversify payment and reserve currencies, reduce foreign exchange costs and deepen trade with China, noted africa.businessinsider.com.

Additionally, China’s zero-tariff concessional market access for African goods exported into its 1.4 billion population added a new dimension to China-Africa relations, which are predicated on the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

“According to the Chinese Envoy, in the first half of 2026, China—Africa trade reached a record high of $207 billion. From May to June alone, Chinese imports from Africa reached $29 billion, a 24% year-on-year increase. Estimates show that the zero-tariff policy has increased overall exports to China by roughly 6%, noted Nigeria’s Abuja based daily,” reported Leadership.ng.

Despite China’s economic growth didn’t begin with its admission to the WTO despite the claim by former Prime Minister Truss. It began in 1978 with Chinese paramount leader of the People’s Republic of China, Deng Xiaoping’s internal economic reforms. By the time China joined the WTO in 2001, their growth trajectory was already locked in. China’s success came from state directed industrial policy, massive infrastructure investment and human capital development.

This growth and expansion, particularly with inroads in Africa, has Western nations, particularly the U.S., concerned and trying to keep up.