“China has become an indispensable partner in addressing shared challenges and pursuing regional and national interests.” —Olalekan A. Babatunde
Each time I am in China, while watching CCTV English channels, I used to see the arrival of presidents, leaders, and captains of industry. There are reports of the arrival of leaders from across the world: Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Americas for state visits, bilateral talks, and to sign one contract agreement or another in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Xi’an, and Changsha, just to mention a few. I asked myself, ‘Why are world leaders heading to China almost daily?’
Just days after the US President Donald Trump left Beijing after a 3-day visit, the Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing with a very large entourage. Prime Minister of the UK, Keir Starmer, was in Beijing in January 2026; German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited China in February 2026; French President Emmanuel Macron was in China in late 2025; and many other high-level visits. Five G7 members and all the UN Security Council members have visited Beijing in recent times.
I asked again, what is happening? Why China? I remember President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also paid a state visit as a guest of President Xi Jinping, and attended the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)’s 9th summit in September 2024 in Beijing, where he signed different MOUs as their ties were elevated from a Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Now, more than ever before, I have discovered that world leaders are visiting China more frequently because the country has become more relevant in almost every aspect of life. It has become one of the most influential powers in global politics, trade, technology, infrastructure, and diplomacy. Though different leaders go for different reasons, but the major factors include economic opportunities, access to an immense market, investment, technology and innovation, geopolitical Influence, alternative to western dominance, energy and natural Resources, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), security and strategic cooperation, supply chain integration, and education and cultural exchange.
Regarding economic opportunities, China is the world’s second-largest economy and a major trading partner for many countries. Leaders visit to attract Chinese investments, negotiate trade agreements, seek loans or infrastructure funding, and expand exports to the Chinese market. For many African countries, China is a major source of roads, railways, and power projects,
telecommunications, and industrial parks.
In technology and innovation, China has become a global leader in electric vehicles, renewable energy, 5G, artificial intelligence, digital payments, and manufacturing. Leaders often visit to study China’s development model and explore technology partnerships with companies like Huawei, Geely, and BYD.
Recently, China has been playing a major role in regional and global politics and crises, driven by its rising geopolitical influence. It is involved in peace mediation, e.g., the Russia-Ukraine War, the Iran-Saudi Arabia reconciliation, the US-Israel-Iran War, and others. It funds and actively participates in international organizations, climate negotiations, and South-South cooperation. China gives leaders a reason to engage in strategic dialogue and risk management. For leaders to relate with China means they want good relations with Beijing because China influences global decisions on trade, security, and development.
Similarly, many leaders visit China because of its global infrastructure agenda through programs such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). They want to connect through transport, energy, trade and economic networks. Under such initiatives, their countries join new projects, renegotiate debts, secure financing, and deepen strategic cooperation.
As some countries feel unfairness and bullying in the Western-dominated global system, they see China as an alternative partner to Western dominance and powers such as the United States and European nations. China often presents itself as non-interfering in domestic politics, focused on development, and supportive of multipolarity. These qualities appeal to many developing nations.
In the fields of education and cultural exchange, China offers scholarships, training programs, Confucius Institutes, cultural centers, media outlets, and academic partnerships. African scholars, journalists, diplomats, and students frequently participate in exchange programmes there. All this influenced leaders from across the world to visit China.
China is naturally endowed with energy and natural resources like critical minerals, and has developed top-notch technology in these resources. But it also needs large amounts of oil, gas, minerals, and agricultural products. So world leaders visit to negotiate resource agreements and supply partnerships.
Some visits focus on security and strategic cooperation, such as military and defense, anti-terrorism support, cybersecurity, maritime security, and peacekeeping. One could observe that China has increased security cooperation with countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It has defense attaches in some of its embassies in Africa.
But, from an African perspective, many of our leaders’ engagements with China are seen as a way to improve infrastructure, industrialize economies, reduce dependence on Western aid, and gain access to technology and finance. That is why all the presidential leaders in the continent, excluding Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), have paid visits to China in the last decade to sign one agreement or another and to attend summits. All of the visits were aimed at shaping diplomatic, trade, and economic ties to develop their respective countries.
So, world leaders visit China because it is now central to global economics, global diplomacy, technology, and development strategy. It has become an indispensable partner in addressing shared challenges and pursuing regional and national interests. While African leaders commit to development goals and manage to balance relations in a complex, multipolar world, they should ensure their visits to China help secure trade deals, align on global issues, and tap into China’s growth.
♦ Dr. Babatunde is a Fellow at Nigeria’s Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, a Part-time Professor at China’s Zhejiang Normal University; writes via austinebabatunde@yahoo.com
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