In the wake of a trade war with the United States and an economic downturn, China’s state-run media have ramped up efforts in promoting the country’s financial and political gains in developing African nations. The media has focused on economic prosperity in the African continent with friendly and “unsophisticated” locals—a description that Chinese online news outlet The Paper.cn used to describe the people of Nigeria. Specifically, two Chinese engineers have shared the spotlight. They were given the titles of “chiefs” in west African countries after providing their engineering services, ac...