Portfolio Diplomacy: Rethinking African Economic Statecraft in a Multipolar World

Walk through Nairobi and the twenty-first century global economy comes into view. Chinese-built expressways carry commuters to office towers occupied by American technology firms. French retailer Carrefour has become one of the country’s largest supermarket chains. Japanese vehicles dominate the roads while Indian pharmaceutical companies supply hospitals and pharmacies. Increasingly, Gulf investors are financing the logistics corridors that connect Kenya to regional markets. None of these…