quick links: skip to main content | main menu | section menu | home | site map

Section submenu:
International and Security Programme

Research Projects

The role of China in Africa

Contact Email: a.glennie@ippr.org

Introduction

Africa was the subject of unprecedented international political attention in 2005. In March, the Commission for Africa - set up by Tony Blair - published its report, Our Common Future, which provided an extremely detailed analysis of the challenges facing the continent and of the policy responses that might better help to tackle them. Along with climate change, the UK Government made Africa a priority during its presidency of the G8.  This was reflected in the Gleneagles communiqué which contained a series of policy commitments specifically geared to Africa. The Millennium Review Summit in September also had a strong focus on the needs of the continent. These various initiatives and processes have addressed a very wide range of issues that are seen to impact on Africa’s development prospects – from conflict to corruption, from trade to investment, from HIV/AIDs to debt relief. 

However, international policy makers have underestimated the extent to which China is now a major player in Africa. They have failed to fully appreciate the extent to which China’s engagement in Africa has the potential to seriously undermine some of their existing policy initiatives towards the continent, for example in respect of transparent and equitable management of natural resources and CSR, trade, and good governance and human rights. They have also failed to consider how they might better engage China in respect of African issues.

This project was designed to assess the growing impact of China on Africa and to consider the policy implications of this for international donors, the private sector and NGOs. The outcome of this project was an edited collection of expert research papers looking at the implications of China’s role in Africa for:

  1. natural resource management and corporate social responsibility
  2. trade
  3. good governance and human rights.
We also convened a high-level symposium in London in summer 2006 to discuss these issues, bringing together key policy makers from Europe, Africa and China. The publications and symposium were designed to increase awareness of the importance of China to Africa. They also intended to generate new thinking about how international policy towards Africa should take account of China’s role on the continent and lead to better engagement of China on these issues.

Publications

The New Sinosphere: China in AfricaThe New Sinosphere:
China in Africa

This ippr collection of essays addresses different aspects of China’s relations with Africa, including the history and politics of the relationship, as well as China’s impact on trade and investment, the management of natural resources, human rights and good governance, and peace and security.

view publication

Events

The role of China in Africa

Africa was the subject of unprecedented international political attention in 2005. But one issue which has enormous implications for Africa was largely absent from these high-level international discussions: the role of China. International pol...

28/06/2006 - 28/06/2006

full details