During the past decade, China’s rapidly

growing presence in Africa has increasingly

become a topic for debate in the

international media and among economists and

policy analysts. While China’s unique economic

approach to Africa meets the African countries’

need for funding and infrastructure projects, the

model has been widely criticized. In particular,

China’s natural resource-backed loans raise questions

about the continent’s future and its capacity

for sustainable development.

Studies of China’s Africa strategy (or lack thereof) have been overwhelmingly focused on China’s

economic interests in Africa, the role played by

Chinese government and companies, and the economic

and social impacts of such activities on the

ground. With a few exceptions, there is a strong

tendency to assert moral judgments in the assessment:

China’s activities in Africa are often characterized

as “evil” when they are seen as representing

China’s selfish quest for natural resources and damaging

Africa’s fragile efforts to improve governance

and build a sustainable future. However, they are

characterized as “virtuous” when they are seen as

contributing to a foundation for long-term economic

development through infrastructure projects

and revenue creation.

While economic issues are important to the strategic

positioning of Africa in China’s overall foreign

policy, Africa’s broader role in China’s international

agenda is yet to be thoroughly explored. As China

becomes a global economic and political power, a

simplistic perception of Africa as China’s supplier

of raw materials inevitably neglects other key

aspects of Africa within China’s global strategy.

Furthermore, even as China’s goals and policies

have become more diversified, little effort has been

spent examining China’s internal bureaucratic processes

by which political, economic and security

decisions are made regarding its Africa policy. This

paper seeks to examine these largely unexamined

basic, internal elements of China’s Africa policy.

China seeks to satisfy four broad national interests

in its relations with the continent. Politically,

China seeks Africa’s support for China’s “One

China” policy and for its foreign policy agendas in

multilateral forums such as the United Nations.

Economically, Africa is seen primarily as a source

of natural resources and market opportunities to

fuel China’s domestic growth. From a security

standpoint, the rising presence of Chinese commercial

interests in Africa has led to growing security

challenges for China, as the safety of Chinese

investments and personnel come under threats

due to political instability and criminal activities

on the ground. Last but not least, China also sees

an underlying ideological interest in Africa, as the

success of the “China model” in non-democratic

African countries offers indirect support for China’s

own political ideology and offers evidence that

Western democratic ideals are not universal.

In reality, Africa accounts for only a tiny percentage of China’s overall foreign economic activities: China’s investment in and trade with Africa represents 3 percent and 5 percent of its global investment and trade respectively.

The popular focus on China’s vast economic endeavors

in Africa (especially in the extractive industries)

seems to suggest that Africa is somehow

“critical” for China. In reality, Africa accounts

for only a tiny percentage of China’s overall foreign

economic activities: China’s investment in

and trade with Africa represents 3 percent and 5

percent of its global investment and trade, respectively.

Politically, the continent is of small importance

to China’s foreign policy agenda, with Africa

playing a largely supportive role in China’s overall

international strategy. Rather than being seen as

“key” or a “priority,” Africa is seen to be part of the

“foundation” on which China’s broader strategic

ambitions are built. Compared with the “struggle”

with big powers or China’s strenuous relationship

with its neighbors, Sino-African relations have

been relatively smooth and free of major disturbances,

thanks to a shared sense of historical victimization

by Western colonial powers and a common

identity/affinity as developing countries. The

nature of Sino-African ties is largely transactional

and reciprocal.

Given the general low priority of Africa in China’s

foreign policy agenda, Africa issues rarely

reach the highest level of foreign policy decision

making in the Chinese bureaucratic apparatus. In

practice, policymaking specific to Africa happens

mostly at the working level and is divided among

several government agencies, with the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Ministry of Commerce

(MOFCOM) taking the lead on political

affairs and economic affairs, respectively. On security

issues such as U.N. peacekeeping operations,

naval escort missions and evacuation missions, the

Chinese military plays a significant role in coordination

with MFA and MOFCOM. On issues

under the mandate of specific government agencies,

such as Chinese medical, agricultural or technical

assistance to Africa, the policy is coordinated

among MFA, MOFCOM and the agency directly

involved.

China’s Africa strategy is not free of problems or

controversies. The most vocal criticism inside the

Chinese policy community is that China fundamentally

lacks an Africa strategy and commercial

interests have overtaken (and even undercut) other

national interests. There is a constant tension between

the narrow, mercantilist pursuit of economic

interests in Africa and that pursuit’s impact on

the overall health of the Sino-African relationship

and China’s international image. Bureaucratically,

this partly contributes to the abrasive competition

between MFA and MOFCOM for the leading role

in China’s policy toward Africa. This conflict is

most evident on the issue of China’s foreign aid

to Africa.

Meanwhile, the proliferation of China’s commercial

actors in Africa in recent years has made government

supervision and management particularly

challenging. Beijing’s inability to cope with the

rapidly expanding Chinese presence in Africa is

exacerbated by the lack of political risk assessment

and the absence of a comprehensive commercial

strategy for Africa. The resolution of these issues

will determine the nature and content of China’s

future policy toward Africa while exerting critical

influence over the future development of the continent.