China’s presence in Africa has been securitised through maps drenched in red and stamped with flags, framing its engagement as a looming threat rather than a complex geopolitical reality.

So many myths and misunderstandings surround China. It is as complex as it is diverse, and it never fails to confound the West. But China’s geopolitical and economic importance is without question.

Portraying China’s presence in Africa with flags on maps can distort African states’ sovereignty and their power to make ...