China in Africa

Introduction: China-Africa relations

China-Africa relations have a long historical pedigree. In the 1960s and 1970s, Beijing’s interest centered on building ideological solidarity with underdeveloped nations to advance Chinese-style communism and on combating Western hegemony. Following the Cold War, Chinese interests evolved into more pragmatic pursuits such as trade, investment, and energy. In recent years, Beijing has identified the African continent as an area of significant economic and strategic interest.

China’s sharply accelerating domestic energy demand has spurred Beijing to pursue stable overseas sources of hydrocarbon fuels. In 2006, an estimated 25 percent of China’s total oil imports came from Africa, notably Sudan, Algeria, Angola, Nigeria and Chad. Chinese government firms have invested billions of dollars in foreign exchange and have used Chinese engineering and construction resources on infrastructure for developing oil, gas and other natural resources in African countries.

Africa not only exports natural resources to China but also imports Chinese commodities. China has been able to find a ready market for its cheap consumer products and is trying to take control of the African market. While in 1949, there were about 27,000 Chinese traders in Africa, this number had increased to 130,000 in 1999. South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco account for 58 percent of African imports from China.

China and Africa have set up various trade agreements in the past. In 2000, the first large-scale conference on Sino-African trade was held in Beijing with over 40 African States present. At the third Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in November 2006
China and Africa agreed to strengthen cooperation in politics, economy, international affairs and social development. China is now Africa’s third most important trading partner, behind the United States and France.

China’s current involvement in Africa has provoked much debate. Is China the latest imperial power out to exploit Africa’s natural resources, putting its own economic interests above environmental and human rights concerns? Or is China’s engagement an extension of South-South solidarity, enabling African countries to free themselves from economic dependence on and political interference from the West? Western political forces and media have criticized every aspect of China’s activities in Africa, while the Chinese have mounted a spirited defense. African responses to China’s growing involvement used to be overwhelmingly positive, but of late, a growing concern can be observed in the African media and certain sections of civil society about China’s impact on the continent.

An advantage of current Sino-African trade and aid relations is the increased room for manoeuvre for African States now that they are no longer totally dependent on the West. On the other hand, transparency and accountability are not among the core values cultivated in African-Chinese links. An illustration of the difference in approaches between the West and China vis-à-vis malgovernance in Africa is the suspension of Dutch government aid to Kenya in April 2006 because of long-standing concerns over corruption, while on the very same day China was busy securing an important oil exploration agreement with the same country.

International relations

Beyond 'dragon in the bush': the study of China-Africa relations / Daniel Large
In: African affairs: (2008), vol. 107, no. 426, p. 45-61

Sino-African relations and the problem of human rights / Ian Taylor
In: African affairs: (2008), vol. 107, no. 426, p. 63-87

A new scramble for African oil? : historical, political, and business perspectives / Jedrzej George Frynas & Manuel Paulo
In: African affairs: (2007), vol. 106, no. 423, p. 229-251 : tab