Structure and Prospects of Cooperation between China and African Countries in the Space Industry

The article presents a comprehensive study of the structure and nature of space cooperation between China and African countries. The author consistently analyzes the evolution of global space activities from ideological confrontation to critical infrastructure, defining China’s strategic role as an alternative center of gravity for developing space powers. The main content of the work is based on a comparative analysis of ten cases (including multilateral initiatives), which allowed the author to identify and classify four main models of interaction: from turnkey solutions to strategic partnerships in advanced projects. The methodology, based on the analysis of open data, is adequate for the tasks set. The key conclusion of the article lies in identifying the contradiction between China's official rhetoric of equal partnership and strengthening sovereignty and the practice of forming a hierarchical, managed ecosystem leading to long-term technological and standard dependency of African partners. The work contributes to the understanding of China’s instruments of geostrategic influence in the high-tech sphere.