20 years of China politics in Africa: from the past towards future

This article analyzes the historical period from 2000 to 2020, during which the PRC carried out a systematic penetration into Africa. The strengthening of China’s position in Africa is explained by four obvious groups of reasons: geopolitical, ideological, financial and economic, trade and logistics. The authors tend to highlight the 5th group of stratageme nature. China’s stratagem on Africa has not been a dogma, but has evolved at every stage of Sino-African relations over the past two decades.

The authors divide China’s activities in Africa into four historical period, logically linking them with the years of presidency of the three chairmen of China: Jiang Zemin (1993-2003), Hu Jintao (2003-2013) and Xi Jinping (2013 to the present). Each of these periods is discussed in the article from the point of view of evolution stratageme rationale of Chinese foreign policy towards Africa, and also correlated with the move of China to the global level of interaction with the rest of the world.

Over the past 20 years, China has not only strengthened its position on the African continent, but, along with the United States, has earned a well-deserved reputation as a pan-African political actor. The difference is that China is still significantly inferior to the United States in terms of its military presence on the African continent. PRC leaders recognize this fact and aim to correct the balance of power in the region. In recent years China started encouraging African countries to jointly create military-political and at the same time economic interstate associations.

Keywords

China, Africa, Sino-African relations, Xi Jinping, stratagem approach

Received

14.12.2020

Publication date

17.03.2021

Number of characters

36917

Cite

GOST	Zelenev E., Soloshcheva M. 20 years of China politics in Africa: from the past towards future // Asia and Africa Today – 2021. – Issue 2 C. 5-14 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://asaf-today.ru/S032150750013956-3-1 (circulation date: 25.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S032150750013956-3
MLA	Zelenev, Evgeny, Soloshcheva, Maria "20 years of China politics in Africa: from the past towards future." Asia and Africa Today 2 (2021):5-14. DOI: 10.31857/S032150750013956-3
APA	Zelenev E., Soloshcheva M. (2021). 20 years of China politics in Africa: from the past towards future. Asia and Africa Today (2), pp.5-14 DOI: 10.31857/S032150750013956-3

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