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States in Africa are labeled "system ineffectual," inconsequential to global politics, and lacking material and ideational capabilities to structure their foreign relations. The result is a portrayal of a passive Africa at the whims of its bilateral partners—be they China, the United States, or Russia. Contra this impolitic framing of Africa, this article explores how states in Africa are strategically shaping the norms of development paradigms promoted by foreign powers and influencing external actors to legitimize their preferred norms. Empirically focusing on China's development model in Africa, the article examines how norms related to the model are being shaped and diffused; and how through the ingenuity of political elites, China is making the China model "on the go." The main argument is that political elites in Africa are strategically reconstructing the China model, creating their own multifaceted versions that delicately balance their own domestic interests and their bilateral relations with China while deriving maximum benefits from the People's Republic of China.Related Articles (in this Special Issue)Duggan, Niall. 2020. "China—The Champion of the Developing World: A Study of China's new Development Model and its Role in Changing Global Economic Governance." Politics & Policy 48 (5).Ganda, Willie D. 2020. "The China Model in Zimbabwe: The Belt and Road Initiative and Beyond." Politics & Policy 48 (5).Hodzi, Obert, and John H. S. Åberg. 2020. "Introduction to the Special Issue: Strategic Deployment of the China Model in Africa." Politics & Policy 48 (5).

Socialization of Africa into the liberal international order was largely a preserve of the West. However, as China expands its economic and political influence across Africa, the liberal international order is being put to the test. Representing alternative global governance norms and values, China is seeking the legitimation of its emerging global leadership by delegitimizing its rival, the United States. How the delegitimization and expected 're-socialization' of Africa are unfolding is this article's subject of enquiry. Based on expert interviews conducted in Africa and China, the article examines the interlink between legitimation and 're-socialization' within the context of China's rising influence in Africa. It advances the argument that China is concerned with having a global order, operating based on norms and values favourable to its national and geopolitical interests. In making this argument, the article refocuses the attention onto the subtle making of a global order preferred by China, at least in Africa. ; Peer reviewed