With the rapid approach of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will kick off in Cote d'Ivoire on January 13, global sports fans are waiting with bated breath. Global attention has also been focused on the six state-of-the-art host stadiums in recent days, some of which were designed and constructed by Chinese enterprises. 

Observers noted that the venues are a vivid display of China's mutually beneficial "stadium diplomacy" under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has and will provide a big boost in driving economic development in the African continent and improving local livelihoods.

The Olympic Stadium of Epimbe, located in the city of Abidjan, one of the country’s economic hubs, will host the opening and closing ceremony of the tournament. The 60,000-seat arena, also the largest stadium in Cote d'Ivoire, was designed by the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design Co and built by Beijing Construction Engineering Group. It is a flagship project in Africa under the BRI.

The Laurent Pokou Stadium in San-Pedro was constructed by state-owned China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), while another Chinese company, China National Building Material Group, also served as general contractor for the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo.

“During the construction process, the project created about 1,000 local jobs and trained around 100 professional stadium operators. Once AFCON is over, the venue will also have the capacity to host a series of other high-end sports event such as track and field events,” CCECC said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Thursday. It added that the project has facilitated the construction of other local basic infrastructure facilities, such as highways, airports and hospitals.  

Laurent Pokou Stadium, according to CCECC, incorporated a number of local cultural elements during the construction. While the venue is equipped with a world-class inner field, athletic track and lighting facilities, the Chinese company also installed solar photovoltaic technology to assist with a future green transition. 

These modern stadiums, some of which will become signature landmarks after the completion of AFCON, also epitomize the national image of Cote d'Ivoire, industry observers said. 

“Over the past six decades, medical assistance and sports cooperation have been key to bilateral people-to-people exchanges between China and Africa, and Africa has greatly benefited from the ‘stadium diplomacy’ under the BRI,” Liu Hongwu, dean of African studies at East China's Zhejiang Normal University, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

Chinese companies have been actively engaging in the construction of stadiums over the past six editions of AFCON, which is held every second year. In total, the country has helped build over 100 stadiums across the continent. 

“China’s economic cooperation with Africa is based on equality and mutual respect, without any political strings being attached,” Liu said, while refuting certain Western politicians’ claims about China vying for political influence in the continent. 

To date, at least 52 African countries and the African Union Commission have signed BRI cooperation agreements with China.

China has maintained its position as Africa's largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years. China's direct investments in the continent have remained steady over the past decade, with over 1,100 cooperative projects currently underway, fueling the region's economic growth and development, according to local media reports.