Paternalistic prejudice in geopolitical perception: how low-competence stereotypes and cultural positivity jointly predict favorable evaluations of China, Africa relations

IntroductionChinese public perceptions of Africa remain understudied at the micro-level, yet they constitute a critical social-psychological foundation for the long-term sustainability of China-Africa bilateral relations. A central paradox motivates this research: how can negative stereotypes of Africa be positively associated with favorable evaluations of China-Africa relations? This study seeks to address this gap by testing an integrated psychological model that simultaneously examines intergroup contact, social distance, and stereotype content in the context of China-Africa relations cognition.MethodsA survey was conducted among 964 Chinese university students. Covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) with maximum-likelihood estimation was used to assess a combined psychological model integrating Contact Theory, Social Distance Theory, and the Stereotype Content Model. In addition to the competence dimension assessed by the African Stereotype scale, a direct measure of the warmth dimension was introduced: Cultural Positivity Perception (CPP), operationalized through items assessing African cultural appeal, civilizational contributions, and inclusiveness.ResultsThree key associations emerged. First, intergroup contact correlated with decreased social distance while simultaneously increasing the strength of negative competence stereotypes. Second, no significant association existed between social distance, as a proxy for interpersonal affinity, and macro-level China-Africa relations cognition. Third, negative competence stereotypes were the strongest predictive factor of favorable cognitions toward China-Africa relations, with CPP also showing a positive predictive association.DiscussionThese findings are interpreted through the lens of Paternalistic Prejudice, wherein low levels of perceived competence and high levels of cultural positivity align with a cognitive framework that supports perceived legitimacy and mutual benefit within a hierarchical relationship. Importantly, as these findings are based on cross-sectional data, they should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects.