Beijing now presents itself not only as a developer of renewable energy projects or supplier of clean technology, but as a partner in supporting “Made in Africa” industrial value addition. To support this, China created a Special Fund for the China-Africa Green Industrial Chain. Since 2022, Chinese foreign direct investment in clean tech manufacturing has accelerated sharply, accounting for around 80% of China’s cumulative investment since 2013. Three limits to China’s modelYet there are limits to China’s model in generating industrial value locally. This is where Europe can still play a meaningful role, working with partners like Japan and South Korea, which are increasingly orientating their engagement towards local value creation.