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Foreign Aid and Soft Power: Great Power Competition in Africa in the Early Twenty-first Century

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  • Blair, Robert A.
  • Marty, Robert
  • Roessler, Philip

Abstract

Is foreign aid an effective instrument of soft power? Does it generate affinity for donor countries and the values they espouse? This article answers these questions in the context of Chinese aid to Africa and the competing aid regime of the United States. The study combines data on thirty-eight African countries from Afrobarometer, AidData, and the Aid Information Management Systems of African finance and planning ministries. The authors use spatial difference-in-differences to isolate the causal effects of Chinese and US aid. The study finds that Chinese aid to Africa does not increase (and may in fact reduce) beneficiaries’ support for China. By contrast, US aid appears to increase support for the United States and to strengthen recipients’ commitment to liberal democratic values, such as the belief in the importance of elections. Chinese aid does not appear to weaken this commitment, and may strengthen it. The study also finds that Chinese aid increases support for the UK, France and other former colonial powers. These findings advance our understanding of the conditions under which competing aid regimes generate soft power and facilitate the transmission of political principles and ideals.

Suggested Citation

  • Blair, Robert A. & Marty, Robert & Roessler, Philip, 2022. "Foreign Aid and Soft Power: Great Power Competition in Africa in the Early Twenty-first Century," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 52(3), pages 1355-1376, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:bjposi:v:52:y:2022:i:3:p:1355-1376_20
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    Cited by:

    1. Austin Strange, 2025. "Influence and support for foreign aid: Evidence from the United States and China," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 443-470, September.
    2. Kim, Sung Eun & Park, Jong Hee & Rhee, Inbok & Yang, Joonseok, 2025. "What do aid recipients want? Public attitudes toward foreign aid in developing countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    3. Kathleen J. Brown, 2025. "Why hide? Africa’s unreported debt to China," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 1-32, March.
    4. repec:ces:ceswps:_10969 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Sinanoglu, Semuhi, 2025. "Strategic humanitarian aid, trust in Europe and support for authoritarianism," IDOS Discussion Papers 28/2025, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    6. Sun, Zesheng & Zhao, Jiahua & Chen, Hao, 2025. "How trade effect of foreign aid evolves: Evidence from the United States," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 710-727.
    7. Perrotta Berlin, Maria & Lvovkskyi, Lev, 2025. "Russia’s Involvement on the African Continent and its Consequences for Development: The Aid Channel," SITE Working Paper Series 64, Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics.
    8. Choyon Kumar Saha, 2024. "Least developed countries versus fossil fuel incumbents: strategies, divisions, and barriers at the United Nations climate negotiations," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 91-120, March.
    9. Christoph Nedopil & Mengdi Yue, 2024. "Does Green Overseas Investment Improve Public Perception in Host Countries? Evidence from Chinese Energy Engagement in 32 African Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-14, January.
    10. Dreher, Axel & Lang, Valentin & Reinsberg, Bernhard, 2024. "Aid effectiveness and donor motives," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    11. Mattingly, Daniel & Incerti, Trevor & Ju, Changwook & Moreshead, Colin & Tanaka, Seiki & Yamagishi, Hikaru, 2022. "Chinese State Media Persuades a Global Audience That the “China Model” is Superior: Evidence From A 19-Country Experiment," OSF Preprints 5cafd_v1, Center for Open Science.
    12. Becker, Malte & Krüger, Finja & Heidland, Tobias, 2024. "What Drives Attitudes toward Immigrants in Sub-Saharan Africa? Evidence from Uganda and Senegal," IZA Discussion Papers 16734, IZA Network @ LISER.
    13. Yair Galily, 2025. "Beyond the Goalposts: Decoding Qatar’s Soft Power Puzzle and Its Paradox," Contemporary Review of the Middle East, , vol. 12(2), pages 197-208, June.
    14. Gerda Asmus-Bluhm & Vera Z. Eichenauer & Andreas Fuchs & Bradley Parks, 2025. "Does India Use Development Finance to Compete With China? A Subnational Analysis," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 69(2-3), pages 406-433, March.
    15. Bau, Nicolas & Dietrich, Simone, 2025. "What geopolitical returns does ODA bring?," Kiel Working Papers 2305, Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
    16. Schulte, Erik V. & Kaplan, Lennart, 2025. "Trade and soft power: Evidence from the China shock in Africa," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 438, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    17. Sergio Mariotti & Sergio Meacci, 2026. "Africa in the global economy: development challenges and investment opportunities for Europe," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 53(1), pages 115-141, March.
    18. Ryan Powers & Austin Strange, 2025. "Can rising powers reassure? Shifting power, foreign economic policy and perceptions of revisionist intent," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 62(7), pages 2290-2306, December.
    19. An, Jiafu & Guo, Shiqi & Jiang, Haicheng, 2025. "Foreign-assisted infrastructure and local employment: Evidence from China's aid to Africa," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 118-138.
    20. Bunte, Jonas B. & Kinne, Brandon J., 2025. "Strategic interdependence in sovereign lending," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    21. Lauren Ferry & Cleo O’Brien-Udry, 2025. "The possibilities and limits of international status: Evidence from foreign aid and public opinion," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 711-740, December.

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