China Steps Up Commitment to Africa
From September 4 to 6, Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, hosted delegates from over 50 African nations at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. This summit has been the primary coordination mechanism between African countries and China in regard to partnership and investment, occurring every three years in Beijing since its founding in 2000. This year, the Chinese leader articulated his desire to move forward with diplomatic relations with the leaders in attendance as “an all-weather community with a shared future.” He also elevated the diplomatic status of all African countries in attendance to a “strategic” level, in a move to build an even stronger bond with the continent. Looking to cement China as the continent’s primary foreign ally, Xi announced serious financial commitments, including a promise of $51 billion in funding through loans and aid, over the next three years. He also pledged to create at least one million jobs, deepen industrial and agricultural ties, and back additional infrastructure projects. The promise also included monetary allocations for military aid, as well as for other smaller infrastructure projects. Speaking in the Great Hall in Tiananmen Square to dignitaries including Presidents Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo Brazzaville and Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, and the Secretary-General of the UN Antonio Guterres, Xi said “China and Africa account for one-third of the world population. Without our modernization, there will be no global modernization.”
These new commitments signal a shift in China’s strategic focus, away from exclusively large infrastructure projects and towards a diverse array of investments in green energy, digital infrastructure, and manufacturing. Xi’s commitments, and the summit itself, come at a time when several African countries have been facing severe debt burdens. Since the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing global economic crisis, China has become a leader in lending to Africa, including $1.9 billion in loans in the year 2020 alone. However, this has burdened many countries across the continent who have struggled to repay these debts. In particular, the economies of Zambia, Ethiopia, and Angola have struggled with debt servicing in recent years. As a result, critics have promoted the idea that China has been engaging in a “debt trap diplomacy,” a manipulative lending practice used to generate political leverage.
Beijing’s primary point of engagement with Africa remains through infrastructure development. This is inspired by China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which was launched in 2013. This global infrastructure and economic development plan aims to enhance Chinese connectivity and promote economic collaboration, all while strengthening its bonds with foreign countries. In Africa, China has invested in railways, ports, and energy projects under the umbrella of the Belt and Road Initiative. Recently, Xi announced that the Initiative would re-focus more towards sustainable development as well as “small and beautiful” projects, including the development of highly advanced technologies. Despite this, the Chinese leader still vowed to move forward with three times as many infrastructure projects as previously carried out across the resource rich continent.
In Xi’s remarks, he presented China as an ideal model of modernization, while simultaneously drawing a connection to Western modernization and the exploitation of Africa and the Global South broadly through colonialism and imperialism. This is in sharp contrast to the narrative pushed by other global powers, such as the United States. The Western narrative points to China as an opponent to democracy and a proponent of global economic dominance over smaller countries. Africa’s growing population and vast supply of natural resources presents an opportunity for China to challenge the historical global economic dominance of Western powers. However, this ambition is not unmatched by the West. In 2021, the United States, during the G7 summit, launched the Build Back Better World project, extending the domestic Build Back Better legislation globally, aiming to address poor infrastructure in less developed countries. The program emphasizes sectors such as climate, health, and digital technology, as well as progressive social values such as gender equality. Advancing democracy is a cornerstone of the policy, directly contrasting the Chinese initiatives. American leaders have also been vocal critics of Chinese foreign investment, accusing it of utilizing debt-trap practices, and warning African and other developing states not to accept such loans.
Despite efforts by the United States and others to erode Chinese hold in Africa, Beijing's recent commitments at their ninth annual China-Africa forum are a major step forward for long term engagement with Africa. The response of African nations will be dependent on how fruitful and impactful their investments are in the continent.