In foreign policy, money talks. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) annual meeting is one of the most high-profile events in global affairs. Heads of states gather to discuss and vote on global governance issues ranging from international conflicts to global poverty. African leaders often have used the mee>ng as a unique opportunity to amplify their voices on the international stage. Yet, in 2018, only half of them attended. By contrast, 51 of 54 African leaders attended that year’s Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, according to reporting by Quartz.