【By Observer Net, Qi Qian】According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, in June this year, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that China would implement 100% tariff-free for 53 African countries with which it has established diplomatic relations, providing more convenience for exports from the least developed African countries to China.

"The 'Western benevolence' approach no longer works; Africans may be closing their hearts to the United States," said several scholars from American think tanks and African universities on July 26. They analyzed that China's tax exemption plan is a major public opinion victory, and this move may further bring China closer to African countries, which will increasingly view China as a more reliable and beneficial partner.

Some scholars pointed out that the influence of the United States in Africa is gradually being surpassed by China. China implements extensive trade policies and economic engagement with Africa, whereas the Trump administration is imposing higher tariffs on African countries, cutting aid, and restricting visas.

According to reports, on July 1, the Trump administration officially closed the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which had been operating for nearly 64 years, and cut foreign aid to underdeveloped countries such as Africa. At the same time, the United States imposed visa restrictions on countries such as Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Somalia. Starting August 1, the United States also plans to impose higher tariffs on imported goods from Algeria, Libya, South Africa, and Tunisia.

Cameron Hudson, senior researcher at the Africa Program of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and a former U.S. official, said that more worrying is that Washington has long believed that its aid and humanitarian help to Africa can exchange for any policy implementation without considering the consequences. But he pointed out that this is no longer the case.

"Washington has basically lost the 'publicity war' in Africa, failing to adequately promote itself to generations of Africans," Hudson said. He added that recent actions by Trump on tariffs, immigration, and aid could cause pain to Africans, who "prefer Washington to play a neutral role rather than one that harms Africans and expects their loyalty."

Hudson said in comparison, China's commitment to Africa has always been consistent, emphasizing mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

At the beginning of this month, President Trump hosted five African leaders at the White House, but repeatedly created embarrassment during the dinner: first asking the president of Liberia "where you learned English," and then making gestures and urging progress in front of African heads of state. During the event, Trump reiterated the U.S. policy of "aid to trade," trying to use this as an excuse to refuse aid to Africa.

The report stated that at the U.S.-Africa Business Summit held last month in Angola, the U.S. delegation continued to advocate the so-called "aid to trade" policy. However, the representative of the African Union Commission expressed "serious concerns" on behalf of African governments towards the U.S. representatives, mainly targeting the U.S. threat of "reciprocal tariffs" and the upcoming visa bans against African countries.

Regarding this, British columnist David Pilling once wrote an article stating that "Trump's African policy may be beneficial to China." In his article, he criticized the U.S. policy toward Africa as both incoherent and unambitious, which only makes China appear as a more reliable partner to Africa.

"Therefore, it is not surprising that China ranks higher than the United States in public opinion in Africa," said Zainab Usman, director of the Africa Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She mentioned that U.S. measures toward Africa have led to the shortening of non-immigrant visa validity periods in several African countries.

According to recent survey results from the polling institution "Afrobarometer," China has now surpassed the United States to become the most popular country on the African continent. According to the results, China's popularity in 29 African countries is 60%, ranking first, surpassing regional organizations, the African Union, the United States, the European Union, and other countries and regional organizations. The U.S. popularity is 53%, ranking fourth.

The survey shows that China's popularity in Africa reaches 60%, ranking first "Afrobarometer" website

Hudson said that regardless of whether the U.S. is governed by the Democratic or Republican Party, Africans believe that the U.S. lacks interest in Africa, is unreliable, and makes excessive demands. He said: "Washington tends to believe that its motives in Africa are completely selfless and beneficial to the African continent, but rarely reflects on the impressions its actions create or the unintended consequences they cause."

Hudson explained that, in the eyes of Africans, the United States controls international financial institutions and the United Nations (UN), among other global institutions, and these institutions often harm the economies and people of Africa while advancing U.S. priorities."

X.N. Iraki, associate professor at the Department of Business and Management Sciences at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, said that the attraction of China lies in its visibility.

He explained that China's projects such as roads, highways, ports, and buildings built in Africa are everywhere, making its influence easily visible and "felt" by citizens; while Western influence is "more reflected in soft aspects like democracy, rule of law, and education," and specific effects vary.

Iraki said that in Kenya, the influence of Chinese media is gradually increasing. "Traders also visit China. More and more Africans understand the real China and can make their own judgments," he pointed out. He added that the U.S. revoking aid and imposing higher tariffs is also an important factor in the decline of African goodwill toward the U.S.

"'Western benevolence' is losing its magic; previously, from hotel tips to aid and funding, the West has always been seen as generous and kind in Africa," Iraki said. Now, many Africans believe that the U.S. is closing the door to outsiders, "Africans may also be closing their hearts to the U.S."

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