Foreign aid is a constantly debated and researched subject. Chinese foreign aid towards Africa and other parts of the world is not without scrutiny. China sees their foreign aid as a tool of soft power, that they use to gain a more positive image and increase cooperation. This study aims to add to the debate through an investigation of how Chinese foreign aid is portrayed in Tanzanian and Kenyan newspapers. The method used to examine newspaper articles in this study is a Critical Discourse Analysis based on Fairclough’s three-dimensional model. The study uses the concept of soft power to analyse different themes found through the CDA. In addition, a comparison between Tanzania and Kenyan newspapers is made.  The findings of this study show a variation of positive and more critical themes in Tanzanian news media while Kenyan news media has themes based on a more critical point of view. The critical themes may show challenges towards Chinese soft power and its strive for a positive image of their foreign aid towards the Tanzanian and Kenyan public. However, how much of a challenge this poses cannot be concluded within this study. As government leaders and heads of states are contributing to uphold a positive image of Chinese aid, particularly in Tanzania this is seen as a positive thing for China’s aim to gain a more attractive image.