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The dissemination of Chinese martial arts in Africa has been an active part of Beijing’s cultural diplomacy in Africa. Intermediaries participate in this dissemination, particularly in Cameroon and Gabon. This article presents the new, scarcely studied role of these actors, between informal diplomacy and personal interests. Living locally or abroad, they use their “friends of China” status to grow their local network and reclaim or develop their own projects thanks to their position. As this phenomenon takes place on the margins of China’s soft power, these “facilitators” may take advantage of the astonishing lack of follow-up by the Chinese government in the field of its cultural diplomacy.