The West has a history of turning a blind eye towards Africa and its citizens, and Africans have come to accept such western indifference. Case in point, the establishment of the first Chinese Naval base in Djibouti, which enables them to gain quick access into the Indian and Atlantic Ocean. It buries the continent in insurmountable debt that the Chinese government maintains as leverage, a boon for them in terms of strategy. However, this form of investment turns out not to be mutually beneficial to the African people.
This allows China to bring businesses to the continent and build much-needed infrastructure, such as railroad tracks for transportation and commerce while instituting their ‘ one belt one road’ initiative. This financial sponsorship has ironically gained popularity with African leaders who welcome with open arms the gifts that Zhongnanhai come bearing to them. In the same way, China’s willingness to pour money and resources into the continent of Africa is not motivated by some form of sincerity towards the people, but rather to further its own agenda. It was rather erected as a roadblock to the spread of communism in Western Europe. For instance, the Marshall Plan of post-World War II was not initiated just out of the good heart of the US government. It is no secret that foreign aid can be used as a bargaining chip, where it goes a long way in facilitating international relations. So, how and why does this matter, given the United States’ interest in the African region? Moreover, it is on the way to surpass the United States in terms of relevance and impact within the area.
It seems that China has found a way to expand its sphere of influence in the globalization race of the 21st century. To the 53 African countries that were in attendance, this was a welcome gift as Africa was just coming out of the ebola outbreak which left devastating effects in its path. The piece was then chosen for publication in the International Policy Digest.īelow is a re-print of the article, also located at the link above.īehind the Goodwill Aid: China’s Neo-Colonialism in Africaĭecember 2018 will mark the 3rd anniversary of the 6th Ministerial Conference of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), where China’s Xi Jinping pledged to strengthen an already steady relationship with the African continent. With a promising speech to the African Union leadership and Heads of State, Xi promised to deliver a $60 billion package over the next 3 years that will include aid, interest-free loans, and capital. first-year Diplomacy student Erick Agbleke originally published an op-ed piece on “China’s Neocolonialism in Africa” in the Journal of Diplomacy. Student Publications: Graduate Student Op-Ed Featured in International Policy Digest