Introduction
The People's Republic of China has become an increasingly visible economic and diplomatic partner for West African states, and Africa more broadly, in recent years. From promising to construct the new secretariat of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at $31.6 million to its participation in the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, China's footprint is as visible in West Africa as in any other part of the continent. Every West African country supports the “One China” policy, with Burkina Faso being the last to recognise Beijing over Taipei in 2018. But an often overlooked aspect of China's influence in the region is the soft power it exerts through relatively low-cost initiatives such as government-funded Confucius Institutes (CIs).
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