Student Name: Alvaro Lopez H.

Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz

Institute for Political Science
Course: China in Wolrd Politics (WiSe 15/16)
Lecturer: Dr. Susan McEwen-Fial

THE DRIVING FACTORS OF SINO-AFRICAN

RELATIONS

INDEX

1. Introduction

1.1. Historical overview

1.1.1. The re-emerging of an Great Power

1.1.2. The growing Sino-African relations - From one-way to win-win

2. What drives Chinese relations to African states?

2.1. Determining factors in China's relation to African states

2.1.1. Chinese development aid
2.1.2. China's need for resources
2.1.3. Chinese workers in Africa
2.1.4. African lack on reforms and infrastructure
2.1.5. Chinese need of sales markets
2.1.6. Chinese need of investment markets
2.1.7. Diplomatic alliances between China and Africa
2.1.8. The Taiwan matter

2.2. Criticism about the Sino-African relations

2.2.1. A Chinese model for development?
2.2.2. Criticism of asymmetric relations

3. Conclusion
4. Literature

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Historical overview

1.1.1. The re-emerging of an Great Power

After Deng Xiaoping started his economical reforms in 1978 China followed 30 years
of immense economical growth. The amount of people suffering poverty has increased
from 280 million in 1978 to 140 million in 2004.1 The economically reformed China
has brought hundreds of millions of persons out of poverty. Mankind has never seen
before the economical rise of such an enormous amount of people.2 To understand the
development of Sino-African relations it is therefore necessary to realize the
outstanding dimensions of the Chinese economic boom.

1.1.2 The growing Sino-African relations - From one-way to win-win.

In regards to history Africans have positive associations of Chinese Engagement in

Africa. After its independence in 1949 China was searching diplomatic relations with
all newly formed African states. China encouraged the African states in their struggle of
decolonization.3
China's aid programs in developing countries began with the support of the Egypt in
1956.4 Until 1979 China had established diplomatic relations with 44 decolonized
African states. In this time China's relations to African states were guided by five
principles: respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, noninterference in internal matters, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence.5
The Chinese engagement in Africa between the 1960s and 1970s can be described as

1 Alden, Chris. China in Africa. Zed Books Ltd 2007. p. 10.

2 Dent, Christopher M.. China and Africa. development relations. Routledge 2011. p. 4.
3 Qiang, Zeng. Macroeconomic Dimensions. China's strategic relations with Africa. In: Harneit-Sievers, Axel; Marks,
Steven; Naidu, Sanusha. Chinese and African Perspectives on China in Africa. Pambazuka Press 2010. p. 57.
4 Brutigam, Deborah. China, Africa and the International Aid Architecture. Working Paper Series N 107. African
Development Bank Group 2010. p. 7.
5 Qiang 2010. p. 57.

ideologically and the 1980s as still restricted.6 In 1979, Chinese government

allowed some Chinese companies to operate abroad without any restrictions. In the
1980s the setup of the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade took place.
When China first opened his economy to the world the trade volume between Africa
and China added up less then one billion US-Dollar. Back then Chinese companies had
a growing interest about investments overseas which was backed by the Chinese
government.7
In the last century China build huge infrastructure project and send medical and
agricultural aid to Africa.8 But Chinese Africa-policy has slowly shifted away from a
one-way solidarity to a commercial win-win strategy.9

2. WHAT DRIVES CHINESE RELATIONS TO AFRICAN STATES?

2.1. Determining factors in China's relation to African states.

2.1.1. Chinese development aid

Almost all African states who have diplomatic relations with China are getting Chinese
development aid. Swaziland is the only African state that has never received Chinese
support on development issues. So Chinese development programs in Africa has shown
steady continuance from Maoist China until today.10
One half of the Chinese development support is done through technical support in
which the labour costs are hard to define. Anyhow the monetary development aid to
Africa has risen from annually 310 million US-Dollar at begin of the 1990s to
approximately 1 1,5 billion US-Dollar annually for the years 2004-05.11
In the year 2006 China announced to train 15,000 African professionals in the next
three years, send 1000 senior agricultural experts to Africa, establish ten special
agricultural technology demonstration centres in Africa, build 30 hospitals, ...
setting up 30 malaria prevention and treatment centres, dispatch 300 youth
6
7
8
9
10
11

Raine, Sarah. China's African Challenges. The International Institute for Strategic Studies. Routledge 2009. p. 59.
Qiang 2010, p. 59.
Alden 2007. p. 15.
Dent 2011. Chapter 2.5
Brutigam 2010. p. 7.
Wang, Jian-Ye. What Drives China's Growing Role in Africa? International Monetary Fund 2007. p. 8.

volunteers, build 100 rural schools and increase government scholarships for African
students from 2,000 per year to 4,000 per year by 2009.12
China has intensified the relations with other developing world regions like Latin
America and Central Asia. In international councils China has successfully taken a role
as mediator between developing countries and developed countries. China is a
commonly accepted agent of interests of developing countries.13
China is part of a state group which can be described as new powers. New powers
are larger developing countries like India, South Africa, Brazil, Russia with a greater
geopolitical importance. In this group of big developing states China is the biggest in
population and furthermore the economically fastest growing state.
All large developing states have intensified their relations with the African continent in
recent years. But in the group of the new powers China was leading in opening new
economical ties to Africa.14

2.1.2. China's need for resources

Chinese economical support of African states has shifted from traditional development
aid to a economical diversification where Chinese companies successfully apply for
international tendered construction projects in Africa.15
In 1993 China changed from a oil-exporting state to a state depending on oil-imports.
So the growing Chinese interest in African was primarily caused by the Chinese
necessity of securing resources.16 African natural resources are still relatively
unexploited and Africa is rich in various raw materials like oil, hold, diamonds and
iron.17 So in Africa the Chinese state owned companies found a suitable source of
resources for it's developing economy.18

12 Barton, Benjamin; Men, Jing. China and the European Union in Africa. Partners or Competitors? Ashgate 2011. p.
35.
13 Dent 2011. p. 3.
14 Dent 2011. p. 3.
15 Qiang 2010. p. 59.
16 Alden 2007. p. 11-13
17 Bodomo, Adams. Africa-China Relations. Symmetry, Soft Power and South Africa. The China Review Vol.9, No.
2, 2009. p. 171.
18 Alden 2007. p. 11-13

In 2006 Angola replaced Saudi Arabia as the biggest Chinese oil supplier.19 Nowadays
many authors describe characteristic of Chinese oil diplomacy. Characteristics are the
embedding of Chinese development aid without any requirements, advantaged credits
and technical assistance into bilateral agreements about oil-exploration, technical
projects and economic agreements.20
2.1.3. Chines Workers in Africa
The early deals between China and African states were mainly about infrastructure
projects which were needed by the Chinese for the exploration of African resources. In
a lot of cases China outgunned the Western competitors and other developing countries
like Brazil, India and South Africa in the formation of contracts with African states.
China did so by connecting investment with exploitation-projects and the importation
of cheap Chinese work force. Through small management costs and a heightened focus
on low-skilled workers, China is beating down the price in international bidding.21
2.1.4. African lack on reforms and infrastructure
As a following of Decolonization African states have probably lost about one half of
their former colonial transport system due to absence of up-keeping.22
So deficiencies on basic infrastructure are reality in many parts of Africa. In SubSaharan-Africa only one of four persons has access to electricity. Furthermore transport
cost in Africa are very high due to insufficient transport-system.23 In 2012 China was
rated to have an 31 billion US-Dollar heavy lack of investment per year. China is
expanding its investment in infrastructure rapidly and was financing African
infrastructure with 9 billion US-Dollar in 2009.24
The Western government have payed to little attention on the African needs of
infrastructure. So it seems that Western development agencies forgot about the lack of
19 Alden 2007. p. 8.
20 Power, Marcus; Mohan, Giles; Tan-Mullins, May. China's Resource Diplomacy in Africa. Powering Development?
Palgrave Macmillan 2012. p. 221.
21 Alden 2007. p. 11-13, 42.
22 Moyo, Nelipher; Songwe, Vera. China-Africa Relations. Defining New Term of Engagement. In: Foresight Africa.
Top Priorities for the Continent in 2012. Africa Growth Initiative 2012. p. 3.
23 Raine 2009. p. 194, 198-199.
24 Moyo; Songwe 2012. p. 3.

infrastructure because they were manly focusing on outstanding liberalization of the

African markets. China is offering the African states the build up of infrastructure in
exchange of resources. Especially western states are complaining about the lack of
transparency and corruption within these Mega-Deals.
Nowadays with a dig on the western super-elevation of privatizations in terms of the
Washington Consensus, the ongoing discussion about development concepts for
African states are talking about an Beijing consensus. Beijing consensus means
Chinese development aid which is focusing on trade and using Chinese state owned
agencies in the private sector.25
Within the deepening of economical Sino-African relations China is entering a mostly
unreformed African market. Most of the African economies haven't undergone bigger
reforms on liberalization and privatization. At the same time China is, in many parts of
the economical sector, still behind the Western standards. But via political connections
China has managed to enter the African economies even Chinese technological
knowledge is, in some parts, not competitive on a global level.26
2.1.5. Chinese need of sales markets
Even though energy supply is the main interest of China in Africa, Chinese activities
have spread into other branches of the African economies. Chinese influence is
extended into the financial sector, the agricultural sector and the service sector.27
From the 1990s on the type of Chinese goods exported to Africa changed successive.
Whereas the initial exports where mainly low-cost products with labor intensive
fabrication the export changed to more developed goods like electronics and
machinery.28
Since the 2000s trade has become the mayor economical connection between China and
Africa. China has the ability to produce less expansive consumer goods which African
people can afford. At the same time China could, due to it's deep pocket, massively
25 Raine 2009. p. 194, 198-199.
26 Alden 2007. p. 41.
27 Yi-Chong, Xu. Capitalist or Villain: Chinese SOEs in Africa. In: Xing, Li; Osman Farah, Abdulkadir. China-Africa
Relations in an Era of Great Transformation. Ashgate Publishing 2013. Chapter 4.
28 Qiang 2010. p. 59.

expanded its African imports of raw materials. The result can be seen in a steep rise of
Chinese-African trade. The Sino-African trade volume increased from 6 billion USDollar in 1999 to 128 billion US-Dollar in 2010.29
Since 2008 Chinas trade volume with Africa is mayor than that of European Union
(EU) and United States (USA).30 If we take Africa as a whole, the Sino-African trade
balance is roughly balanced. But if we analyze all fifty-four different trade balances
separately it can be seen that the mayor raw-material exporters in Africa (for example:
Angola, Republic of Congo, Libya, and Gabon) gain a trade surplus, while on trading
with non-important raw-material exporters (for example: Benin, Egypt, Ethiopia, and
Liberia) it is China who is benefiting a trade surplus. So almost all African countries
have a trade deficit with China. Only countries like Angola, Gabon and Zambia with
their giant resource exportation do not accumulate a trade deficit in the exchange of
goods with China.31
It becomes apparent that the African economies suffer a lack of diversification of their
export products. Since the year 2000, crude oil provides more than two thirds of all
African exports to China. China has a whole slew of different export-products while
African economies depend mostly on the export of unprocessed raw materials.32

2.1.6. Chinese need of investment markets

China started his economical relations with Africa through traditional development aid.
Later on, economical ties expanded by the Chinese offering of benefited credits to
African states.33 From 1979 to 1985 the Chinese government regulations for foreign
investment were very high. In the 1990s, China put the African continent as a key for
the further development security of China. Chinese and African economical
interrelations gained in complexity. China increased investment into the African
markets.

29 Shinn, David H.; Eisenman, Joshua. China and Africa. A Century of Engagement. University of Pennsylvania Press
2012. p. 99, 114.
30 Van Diek, Meine Pieter. The New Presence of China in Africa. Amsterdam University Press 2009. p. 9.
31 Alden 2007. p. 14.; Shinn; Eisenman 2012. p. 116-177.
32 Shinn; Eisenman 2012. p. 116-177.
33 Qiang 2010. p. 59.

In 1993 Chinese officials noted four reasons why Africa is of vitally importance to
China. First, China can secure a steady African resource flow. Second, Africa's huge
and growing population are potential consumers of Chinese goods. Third, Africa is
interesting for bigger mining and construction projects done by Chinese workers.
Fourth, China saw Africa as a attractive region for long-term investments.34
Foreign investments is linked to technology transfers and an opening to international
markets. Therefore attracting foreign investment is vital for developing economies.
Even investments on the African continent are steadily increasing, the rate of foreign
investments into African states still lies under average investment rates of other
developing world regions. So in terms of foreign investments Africa actually needs to
catch up to other developing world regions.35
A stable and high flow of foreign investment, permanent over-pluses in the trade
balance, the savings of the Chinese people and the government decisions on state
owned investment funds resulted in the piling of the biggest accumulation of foreign
exchange in the world.
Because of the accumulation of foreign money China can spend huge amounts in
foreign development assistance.36 The result of the Chinese amount of money becomes
noticeable in rising Chinese investment on the African continent. Between 2000 and
2009 Chinese investments in Africa have tripled.37 In 2007 the Financial Times
estimates that Chinese loans to Africa in recent years have reached ten billion US$ per
year In 2005, China announced in the General Assembly of the United Nations
(UN) that it would mobilize an additional ten billion US$ in three years for
concessional loans. In total, in 2006, existing loans and credit lines were estimated to
total about nineteen billion US$. The countries that receive most of this money are
Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Congo and Nigeria One notes
that these are all oil-producing or commodity-exporting countries.38
African states shifted their existing economical connections away from Western
34 Shinn; Eisenman 2012. p. 128.
35 Van Diek, Meine Pieter, Kragelund, Peter. China's investments in Africa. In: Van Diek, Meine Pieter. The New
Presence of China in Africa. Amsterdam University Press 2009. p. 83.
36 Dent 2011. p. 4-5.
37 Bodomo 2009. p. 170.
38 Van Diek 2009. p. 86.

governments and companies to closer ties with the Chinese, Indian and other
developing economies. African economies came relatively good through the world
economy crises in the 2000s because their economies where more involved in the
developing countries and less dependent on the flagging Western economies.39
2.1.7. Diplomatic alliances between China and Africa
The broadening of Chinese African economical interrelations from the 1980s on
brought a strengthening of Sino-African diplomatic relations with it. Each year, more
and more African and Chinese officials where visiting each others countries.40 The
most important politicians of China are nowadays visiting each other. Former Chinese
president Hu Jintao was visiting Africa several times and in 2006 the Forum on ChinaAfrica Cooperation (FOCAC), the biggest meeting of African states outside of the
United Nations (UN), took place in Beijing. The high-level meetings proof that the
African states and China are of mutual significance.41
In the 1990s African states sought successfully for a strengthening of their powers in
supranational organizations. The African Union was established in 2002 and represents
the African demand for a regional power bloc. To be prepared for the challenges of
globalization African countries were working on common standards in economic
development. At the same time China was peacefully gaining economical weight and
growing attention on a global level. From the increasing Chinese geopolitical
importance arose the necessity of elaborating a Chinese strategy on international
relations.42
During the decolonization of the African states China stuck to its doctrine of noninterference into inner affairs. Therefore China regularly refused to participate in UNpeacekeeping missions in Africa. Nowadays China is instead supporting the UN on
their policy of peace. Thereby China is primarily answering back to the accusation of
over-exploitation in Africa, and secondly stabilizing the official image of the peaceful
rise.43

39
40
41
42
43

Moyo; Songwe 2012. p. 3.

Qiang 2010. p. 59.
Bodomo 2009. p. 170.
Qiang 2012. p. 60.
Power; Mohan; Tan-Mullins 2012. p. 247

The African countries are numerous. Therefore Africa constitutes the biggest regional
bloc in multilateral settings. Furthermore African countries are likely to vote with one
consent in international committees. Thereby the African continent plays an important
role within the enforcement of Chinese interest on global panels. African states have
blocked a

UN-resolution which questioned the human rights situation in China.

African votes are therefore of high importance for the protection of Chinese interests in
multilateral committees.44 But anyhow African relations towards China are
multifaceted. In Africa are fifty-four states with different foreign politics. This means
fifty-four individual African state relations with China.45
An explicit definition of Chinese Politics towards Africa can not be made. Instead we
have a whole bunch of different Sino-African relations. Sino-African connections exist
not just on a state to state level. Instead there are multiple mechanisms and connections
between individual actors. This involves even agreements with different institutions on
state, regional or local level which can mutually disturb themselves. This is why terms
like China Ltd or Africa policy are actually misleading.46
Nowadays the growing community of each, Chinese in Africa or Africans in China,
proof the extensive ties within the relations of China and Africa.47 Relations between
China and Africa will further increase and diversify as can be seen on the statement of
President Hu Jintao on the FOCAC. Hu Jintao was demanding for new forms of
cooperation between China and Africa on political relations, economic cooperation,
cultural exchange, balanced global development and international cooperation in order
to develop a new strategic partnership to Africa.48
2.1.7. The Taiwan matter
China entered the United Nations in 1971 when the UN security council adopted
resolution 2758. As a consequence Taiwan left the United Nations where China took

44 Alden 2007. p. 22.

45 W. Gadzala, Aleksandra. Africa in China. How Africans and Their Governments are Shaping Relations with China.
Rowman & Littlefield 2015. p. xx.
46 Raine 2009. p. 60.
47 Bodomo 2009. p. 171.
48 Barton; Men 2011. p. 35.

the place as exclusive representative of China.49 Mao Zedong complimented the

African support of the recuperate of diplomatic power as followed: we are carried
into the UN by our African friends.50
Various times Chad, Burkina Faso and Gambia have changed diplomatic relations
between Taiwan and China.51 Especially in the 1990s, with the intensification and
diversification of the Chinese Africa relations, more and more African states turned to
the Chinese position on the Taiwan matter and to supporting the one China policy.52

2.2. Criticism about the Sino-African relations

2.2.1. A Chinese model for development?

Nowadays there are thousands of Chinese retail businesses selling cheap and low-value
products from China to a mostly rural African population.53 The importation of Chinese
low-cost products to the African continent can be seen positive or negative. Positive,
because instead of Western products Chinese products are affordable for the African
population. Negative, because the rising import of end-product means a threat to the
African industry-sector. Further criticism exists on African borrowing of Chinese
money. The borrowing of cheap-credits is seen as not sustainable.54
With the deepening of Sino-African relations there was even importation of Chinese
Crime to the African continent. Criminal Groups from China are using dummy
companies to illegally move out wood, diamonds or products of the African wildlife.55
Especially the USA are criticizing the orientation of African states on Chinese
management of development. Western countries in general do not want African states
to adopt the Chinese model of an socialist market. But even China is still a socialist
countries it is shaping and facilitating free trade agreements. China is a socialist country
which overcome poverty with the help of the international economic system. China is
confidently acting under free trade agreements which are dominated by western
49 Wei-Cheng Wang, Vincent. All Dressed Up But Not Invited to the Party: Can Taiwan Now Join the United Nation
the Cold War Is Over? In: Jean-Marie, Henckaerts. The International Status of Taiwan in the New World Order.
Legal and Political Considerations. Kluwer Law International 1997. p. 92.
50 Qiang 2010. p. 58.
51 Brutigam 2010. p. 7.
52 Qiang 2010. p. 59.
53 Alden 2007, p. 14.
54 Yi-Chong 2013. Chapter 4.
55 Alden 2007. p. 14.

10

countries like the USA. China does not want to trouble global trade agreement because
its dependent on a functioning global market. This is why the latest rise of Chinese
economy is generally seen as peaceful.56
At the beginning of the new century emerged several criticisms on the rise of Chinese
activities in Africa. Critics focused on Chinas Africa policy with the importation of
Chinese workers, the exploitation of natural resources and consolidation of
authoritarian regimes.
China is not interest in ideology transfer to Africa. The interest of China is driven by
economical consumption. China's policy of non-interference in inner-affairs benefits
deals with corrupt or criminal regimes. In contrast to EU and USA, the human rights
situation in African states does not particularly affect Chinese investments.57
Therefore Chinese activities on the African continent have been accused of promoting a
ruthless policy-making which violates the norms of good governance.58
Any how it is to add that the policy of non-interference is applied by both Chinese and
African politicians. China is benefiting from his African partners who maintain in
silence over critical policy matters like Taiwan, Islam, Tibet and the human rights
situation in China.59
The general assumption in literature is that China dominates the African continent
which means that China can apply political pressure on Africa whereas Africa can not
on China. Little is said about the existing African influence on Chinese decision
making. Anyhow the relations between China and Africa should not be described as a
Chinese domination instead it is about interactions between China's and African
governments.60
Nowadays China's policy towards Africa seems to be coherent to the former Chinese
strategies of a less ideological approach. China is offering itself as a trading partner
with less guidelines of governance like for example EU and USA. Also the dependence
of Chinese workers in the enforcement of projects reminds of China's policy in a
56
57
58
59
60

Dent 2011. p. 5.
Alden 2007. p. 8, 42.
Power; Mohan; Tan-Mullins 2012. p. 127-128.
Shinn; Eisenman 2012. p. 57.
W. Gadzala 2015. p. xvixix.

11

decolonizing Africa. Also the demonstration of the success of Chinese African

partnership through big public-orientated projects is similar to the traditional socialist
Chinese logic.61
The West and Soviet Union were more ideological in their former relations to Africa
than China. Anyhow Chinese ideology influenced, the early deals between China and
Africa. Nowadays we can see total absence of ideological requirements in the SinoAfrican trade relations. China is fully concentrated on business and uses Soft Power
for the expansion of its influence.
China is offering the African states attractive economical opportunities. China does not
use military force to gain influence in Africa. Chinese officials describe the growing
Chinese geopolitical influence as a peaceful rise.62

2.2.2. Criticism of asymmetric relations

China is accused to dictate the relations between China and Africa. Especially the
western world has criticized the relations between China and Africa as unequal.
In reality the acting of African Chinese state-owned companies is similar to other stateowned companies. An example are the French Elf-Aquitaine and the South African
Eskom who's interests in African states are focused on the national power demands.
The common opinion of an existing asymmetry between China and Africa can be seen
in the popularity of the descriptions China-Africa instead of Africa-China. In
articles of the most reputable language academies we can only find the term ChinaAfrica instead of Africa-China.63
Guiding Principle of China is the equal treatment of the African associates. In reality
China has higher capacities in terms of financial and technical matters. Therefore the
African states find it difficult to supervise Chinese projects.
Many African states lack a set of regulatory for foreign investment. Because of this
exists the accusation of a uncontrolled mine out of the African continent. To oppose
61 Alden 2007. p. 17.
62 Power; Mohan; Tan-Mullins 2012. p. 27, 222
63 Bodomo 2009. p. 171-172.

12

bad publicity and to maintain long-term relations with African states and the Western
world, China is implementing self regulation for Chinese companies on African ground.
On a voluntary basis China is more and more subordinating it's investments projects
under international guidelines for foreign investment.64
African states see China as an example in economical development. With an orientation
on China they try to learn about and copy the boom of the Chinese economy. This is
why African states are interested an inter-exchange of Chinese know-how, political
concepts and technology.65 But while China has formulated a foreign policy on Africa,
the African continent still lacks a African one voice definition for a African strategy on
China.
China knows exactly why it is interested in Africa, but, until now, African states have
missed to declare their interests on China. If supranational institutions like the African
Union (AU) would manage to bring the whole continent on a mutual consent on
Chinese matters, Africa would have a lot more influence on Sino-African policymaking. The AU, for example, has no official papers on regards to Chinese-African
relations. Especially the different treatment of the Taiwan matter prevents the AU from
elaborating a China-strategy.
So nowadays it is China who brings a higher power into the planning of bilateral
agreements, and therefore dominates the Agenda-setting of Sino-African affairs.66
3. CONCLUSION
China's engagement in Africa reaches to a time of African decolonization where the
Chinese offered unconditional development aid. African people therefore might have a
deeper trust on Chinese involvements than on involvements of former colonial powers
of the West. But anyhow the matter has changed and so did Chinese engagements on
Africa. Chinese Africa-Policy has changed from solidarity to a business driven policyapproach.
We have seen that the rise of Chinese engagement on the African continent was
primarily driven trough the Chinese thirst for resources. China connects the domestic
need for raw materials with the development of the African continent. China is sending
64 Raine 2009. p. 102, 191-192.
65 Moyo; Songwe 2012. p. 5.
66 Taylor, Ian. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Routledge 2011. p. 94-95

13

Chinese engineers and construction workers for the build of Chinese projects in Africa.
Primarily target of China's building of harbors, railways and roads is the removing of
resources from Africa to China.
But even the main Chinese interest in Africa is the exploration of it's raw materials, the
connections between China and African states have diversified and exist nowadays on a
national, regional and local level. Today China and Africa are working together on
governmental and non-governmental exchange programs, in the science sector, in the
heath care system, on media services, in the service sector, on environmental
conservation, and on security matters. So the nowadays China offers a far bigger
spectrum of differential Africa-connection than it did ever before.67
The African continent and it's growing population provides an interesting market for
the boosting Chinese economy. Chinese project-implementation and Chinese products
offer affordable prices to the African states and their populations. Imbalance of
knowledge and professionalism between China and Africa are leading to a Chinese
dominated contract-implementation. But even China is more less leading the direction
of the Sino-African relations, Africa still is economical gaining of the Chinese
involvements.
WIN-win instead of win-win might describe the economical gains of China and
Africa.
China is not represent of a proper human rights situation. The human rights situation in
China shows that China won't excel itself on struggles of free speech and other
fundamental rights in Africa. China's policy of non-interference advantages the
conclusion of contracts with corrupt African politicians and businessman. Anyhow the
growing importance of China in Africa leads to even engagement in UN-peacekeeping
missions in Africa. China is not an opponent to international organizations who have
been assembled through the Western world. Instead nowadays China is dependent on
international trade-agreements and the world economy.
Keeping in mind that China was once one of the greatest power of the world it seems
that China is just resuming its former geopolitical importance. Nowadays it is Chinese
growth which is prompting world economy. On the other hand Africa is dealing with
67 Barton; Men 2011. p. 34-35.

14

development problems. For example, the contrariety between a urban population with
high income and western living standard and a poor rural population which is still
living in poverty. The same problems China was, or still is, dealing with. exists in
China The Chinese government therefore seems to understand issues and needs of
developing countries.

15

4. LITERATURE

Alden, Chris. China in Africa. Zed Books Ltd 2007.

Barton, Benjamin; Men, Jing. China and the European Union in Africa. Partners or Competitors? Ashgate
2011.
Bodomo, Adams. Africa-China Relations. Symmetry, Soft Power and South Africa. The China Review Vol.9,
No. 2, 2009.
Brutigam, Deborah. China, Africa and the International Aid Architecture. Working Paper Series N 107.
African Development Bank Group 2010.
Dent, Christopher M.. China and Africa. development relations. Routledge 2011.
Moyo, Nelipher; Songwe, Vera. China-Africa Relations. Defining New Term of Engagement. In: Foresight
Africa. Top Priorities for the Continent in 2012. Africa Growth Initiative 2012.
Power, Marcus; Mohan, Giles; Tan-Mullins, May. China's Resource Diplomacy in Africa. Powering
Development? Palgrave Macmillan 2012.
Qiang, Zeng. Macroeconomic Dimensions. China's strategic relations with Africa. In: Harneit-Sievers, Axel;
Marks, Steven; Naidu, Sanusha. Chinese and African Perspectives on China in Africa. Pambazuka Press 2010.
Raine, Sarah. China's African Challenges. The International Institute for Strategic Studies. Routledge 2009.
Shinn, David H.; Eisenman, Joshua. China and Africa. A Century of Engagement. University of Pennsylvania
Press 2012.
Taylor, Ian. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Routledge 2011.
Van Diek, Meine Pieter, Kragelund, Peter. China's investments in Africa. In: Van Diek, Meine Pieter. The
New Presence of China in Africa. Amsterdam University Press 2009.
Wang, Jian-Ye. What Drives China's Growing Role in Africa? International Monetary Fund 2007.
Wei-Cheng Wang, Vincent. All Dressed Up But Not Invited to the Party: Can Taiwan Now Join the United
Nation the Cold War Is Over? In: Jean-Marie, Henckaerts. The International Status of Taiwan in the New
World Order. Legal and Political Considerations. Kluwer Law International 1997.
W. Gadzala, Aleksandra. Africa in China. How Africans and Their Governments are Shaping Relations with
China. Rowman & Littlefield 2015.
Yi-Chong, Xu. Capitalist or Villain: Chinese SOEs in Africa. In: Xing, Li; Osman Farah, Abdulkadir. ChinaAfrica Relations in an Era of Great Transformation. Ashgate Publishing 2013

16