How China’s ‘stadium diplomacy’ is looking to make its mark at the Africa Cup of Nations

Football tournament being hosted by Ivory Coast features three venues that were built using Chinese money

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has hailed the ‘high quality’ stadiums as ‘symbols of mutually beneficial cooperation’ with West African country

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A packed Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium ahead of an Africa Cup of Nations Group A football match between hosts Ivory Coast and Nigeria on January 18. The 60,000-seat stadium, Ivory Coast’s largest, was funded by China Aid. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:00pm, 28 Jan 2024

China may have left the Asian Cup early after its men’s football team was eliminated in the first round, but is making its presence felt on another continent – at the 34th Africa Cup of Nations.

The recent visit to Ivory Coast by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi coincided with the early stages of the football tournament also known as Afcon, being held in the West African country with three Chinese-built stadiums among the six venues.

These include the 60,000-seat Alassane Ouattara Stadium north of Abidjan, also known as the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé.

It is Ivory Coast’s largest stadium and was financed by US$40.6 million from the China International Development Cooperation Agency or China Aid – Beijing’s official foreign aid and global development agency.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi with Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan earlier this month. Photo: Reuters

There is also the US$107.5 million Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro, funded by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.