China has dominated the story of trade and foreign investment in Africa for the past two decades. The country’s commercial presence in the continent has grown at a rapid pace and is set to continue as Africa is part of China’s Belt and Road initiative, which aims to strengthen trade and investment routes all the way to Europe.
But now, India’s and Japan’s heads of state are simultaneously determined to recover lost ground. With Chinese competition fierce and both countries having complex relations with Beijing, New Delhi and Tokyo have found common ground to help each other counter China’s African dominance.