Good morning, welcome to Axios Today. It's Sunday, August 20th. Today, an investigation

into how the Chinese Communist Party is exporting its authoritarian political model to Africa.

It's a special Sunday episode of Axios Today. I'm Nailibudu.

Akua Nishir and its violent aftermath has Western powers, including the US, scrambling

to keep an anti-terrorism presence in the region. Something US officials say is critical.

And the turmoil is also affecting China's relationship with the West African nation. As

one of the largest investors in Niger, China has put billions into its oil sector for one,

and a major Chinese project in $800 million hydroelectric dam in Niger has been suspended

because of the coup. But across the continent in Tanzania, China's

role looks different. There, the Chinese Communist Party's first overseas training institute

is teaching up-and-coming African leaders Beijing's approach to governing. It's part of China's plan

to create an authoritarian, friendly political block in Africa. Axios' Bethany Allen Ibrahimian

went to Tanzania as part of the investigative series China's Shadow Empire, funded by the

Pulitzer Center. And Bethany joins me now. Hi Bethany.

Hi Naila. Bethany, we've heard so much about the recent coup in Niger and how anti-Western

these coup leaders are. Big picture. How has Beijing been trying to influence African countries

to adopt their brand of government generally? Well, you know, the Chinese Communist Party has

a very long history of close ties to many nations across the African continent.

And a lot of those relationships date back to an era of colonialism or, you know, just as

countries were emerging from colonialism and gaining independence. So there were strong

liberation movements. And the Chinese Communist Party too viewed itself as pulling China,

you know, out of the grip of Western powers. And so the Chinese Communist Party

...