INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY

The role of China in Africa and its motives in the international political economy

International Political Economy

Introduction

China's economic, diplomatic, and cultural relations with the 48 states that comprise Sub-Saharan Africa are shrouded in contradictions. While the subject of China's escalating role in Africa has received considerable attention in recent years, recent literature has heavily focused on the economic aspects of the relationships while giving scant attention to other important considerations such as the ethical dimension. For China, the present competitive environment of Sub-Saharan Africa is as varied as its constituent nations. The economic and political footholds it has established through its enduring relations with rogue regimes such as Zimbabwe and the Sudan have not always taken root in its dealings with more responsible states such as Botswana and Zambia. At the same time, however, for a third category of African states that includes Angola and Nigeria, China's interests appear to be advancing concurrent with those of more established western industrial players. (www.telegraph.co.uk)

Background

As China's footprint in Africa has expanded in recent years, so too has the body of academic literature relevant to this thesis. Ian Taylor's “China's New role in Africa”, for instance, is especially noteworthy not just for its comprehensive research of the evolving economic dynamics between China and Africa, but also for its thought-provoking discussion surrounding China's ultimate intentions in the region, including instances when its actions stray from its rhetoric. (GAO, 2007, 34)

Equally revealing is Pádraig Carmody's “Globalization in Africa: Re-colonization or Renaissance?” for its balanced analysis concerning the degree to which Africa's burgeoning commercial relations with China and other key economic powers is improving the economic well-being of most Africans. Along with his detailed coverage of the contrasting business climates of Chad, Sudan, and Zambia, Carmody explores other relevant issues such as whether the underlying causes for Africa's languishing economic development stem chiefly from factors like inadequate infrastructure or instead from human factors such as the exploitation of the seemingly endemic corruption prevalent in many regions of the continent.

For an even deeper historical chronicling of China's involvement with Africa, Deborah Brautigam's “The Dragon's Gift: the Real Story of China in Africa” sheds additional light on the topic by focusing on how China's involvement contrasts with that of the west. Though many will take exception to her almost invariably sanguine depiction of China's involvement in Africa, her thorough coverage of the unique elements of China's aid administration combined with her defense of China's diplomatic and economic policies presents a set of conclusions that, at times, strays from those widely held by her peers. As a result, her arguments serve the useful purpose of strengthening the analytical underpinnings of this thesis. (Amstutz, 2008, 56)

Building on contemporary scholarly research as well as an assortment of other primary and secondary sources, this thesis aims to investigate a number of increasingly relevant issues hitherto left largely unexplored. Specifically, the paper will examine the underlying factors behind China's relative ease at gaining economic and political access in some states while simultaneously is finding ...