Chinese Influences in Africa 2. Myths and Realities in Economic Relations

Etudes de l'Ifri

Source Link

China and Africa share a strong relationship since the wave of African independences in the 1960s. Nevertheless, China-Africa trade has experienced an unprecedented surge since the late 1990s and has been accompanied by the rise of a discourse of "win-win" partnership between China and Africa.

For many African governments, China represents a viable alternative to Africa’s traditional donors and trading partners. Similarly, China sees many opportunities in developing its relationship with Africa, including the exploitation of raw materials and international influence.

Nevertheless, these relations are also highly controversial. "Chinafrica" is not characterized by mutual interdependence, but rather by a renewed economic and financial asymmetry between Africa and China. In contrast to a monolithic conception of "China’s presence" in Africa, this paper insists on the multiple "Chinese influences" on the continent through the economic, political, diplomatic and security relations. Through a historical perspective, this paper highlights the diversity of actors and sectors of cooperation involved.

This note focuses on the second axis of a dossier, the economic dimension of China-Africa relations. It highlights the diversity of Chinese economic actors and Chinese trade, investment, and loans policies in Africa. Using a sectoral and geographical approach, it explores the raw materials market, investment in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the forestry sector in Central Africa.