Africa Can And Should Get More From China
(MENAFN- Asia Times)
China's relationship with Africa is vital to Beijing's efforts to expand its influence in the Western-dominated world order. China is Africa's most significant trading partner and a crucial source of continental investment, hence the importance of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to both.
The forum's summit, which takes place every three years, provides a platform for China to showcase its global influence and for African nations, both individually and collectively, to engage with the world's second-largest Economy on Political and economic matters.
This year's summit is an opportunity for Africa to find a way through the challenges of the post-Covid era. Previous summits have yielded tangible benefits for African nations. For instance, Kenya has become the largest exporter of flowers to China, with annual exports valued at US$800 million, since the eighth China-Africa summit in Dakar in 2021.
Another positive spin-off linked to the opening of new trade between African countries and China since 2021 is the promotion of e-commerce. This, for instance, has enabled Ethiopian coffee to be exported to China. And, through the China-Africa Peace and Security Fund , Chinese finance and equipment was channelled towards the African Peace and Security Architecture .
The significance that African states place on the forum is evident: 53 African countries will participate in the three-day summit. The only exception is Eswatini, which has diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
As a researcher who has closely monitored China's ascent as a global power and published extensively on the subject, I suggest the question is how African states can maximize this opportunity to benefit politically and economically.
China's Africa strategies
China's plans are clear. It outlined comprehensive strategies in 2006, 2015 and 2021 . These detail China's position in its relations with African states, as part of its broader ambitions as a global power.
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