Africa can and should get more from China

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