From Burundi to Kenya to Morocco, film screenings, co-productions and cultural exchanges are helping to shape a new frontier of influence
4-MIN READ4-MIN ListenJevans NyabiagePublished: 7:00pm, 25 Jul 2026Beijing’s soft power drive to win African hearts through cinema was on display recently in Bujumbura, where Chinese dragon and lion dances merged with sacred Burundian drums to open Chinese Film Week.The Chinese embassy in Bujumbura, the economic capital of Burundi, said the July 15 event offered “a beautiful example of cultural exchanges between the two countries” and that both sides were determined to “make cinema a vehicle for Sino-Burundian friendship”.
Zhu Kewei, China’s ambassador to the East African country, called cinema “a force capable of bridging language barriers, borders and cultures”, adding that “film carries a nation’s historical memories, cultural traditions, values and the emotions of its people”.
In addition to the film screenings, China and Burundi plan to expand cooperation through creator exchanges, artist mobility, university partnerships, co-productions and skills transfer.
As part of the China-Africa Year of Human and Cultural Exchanges, the festival in Burundi lined up seven Chinese films, including The Wandering Earth II, Changan and The Snow Leopard.
