Chinese loan commitments to Africa fell from $28.8B (2016) to $2.1B (2024), with Africa now paying Beijing $22.1B more than it receives annually. Russia's Africa Corps operates in Sahel coup states (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger) where China never lent significantly; Gulf capital and multilaterals fill the gap in China's actual debtor nations.
China's Africa retreat and Russia's Sahel expansion are happening in entirely different countries
Russia's Africa Corps operations have cost at least 13 Russian and Malian lives in September 2026 alone, with ongoing combat against jihadist forces in Mali.