>Seems such a small gain with potentially huge downside with African countries distancing themselves from China.

European countries and the US have been meddling in African countries for centuries, even more blatantly (including directly toppling governments or bringing in their armies) and they have hardly "distanced" themselves from them -- and they'll do that to China for such small peanuts?

The population doesn't know better or is kept down, and the leaders do what brings money to their accounts, not to the country.

> The population doesn't know better or is kept down, and the leaders do what brings money to their accounts, not to the country.

This is less the case, and it is more that Chinese spying is peanuts compared to what the West has done and continues to do.

Great point. Business as usual. I guess the downsides were heavily subsided by the fact that african countries don't really have much to gain from it nor do they (meaning their leaders) have any will to do so.

OTOH this may be also seen as evidence that China treats African countries as serious partners - if they didn't, they wouldn't bother with spying.