China Building, Bugging Government Offices in African Nations, Report Says

China Building, Bugging Government Offices in African Nations, Report Says
The facade of the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa on March 13, 2019. Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images
Updated:
China has been building key government offices and facilities in African countries for decades and fitting them with gear that likely allows the Chinese government to spy on everyone, from presidents and prime ministers to judges and generals and beyond, according to a recent Heritage Foundation report.

More than 186 buildings constructed by China in 40 of the 54 nations in Africa house the sort of sensitive data and activity that invites surveillance, Heritage researcher Joshua Meservey found.