China pushes smaller, smarter loans to Africa to shield from risks   

Senegal's Foreign Minister Yassine Fall, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Republic of the Congo's Foreign Minister Jean-Claude Gakosso shake hands after a press conference in Beijing, Sept. 5, 2024. In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping and visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa review an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Sept. 2, 2024.

China's years of splashing cash on big-ticket infrastructure projects in Africa may be over, analysts say, with Beijing seeking to shield itself from risky, indebted partners on the continent as it grapples with a slowing economy at home.