Back to the Future: Understanding China’s Return to Africa and its Implications for U.S. Policy

Abstract

Since the mid-1970s, China (PRC) has experienced a period of unprecedented economic growth. However, the Chinese Communist Party’s hold on power is now predicated upon maintaining their country’s development trajectory, which requires increasing amounts of natural resources, particularly fossil fuels. To secure access to these raw materials, China has begun to deepen its engagement in parts of the world where Washington has enjoyed a near monopoly on influence since the end of the Cold War. Nowhere is this truer than in Africa, where China has pursued an array of new relationships, some of which directly challenge U.S. interests. This article reviews China’s historical relationship with Africa, accounts for its new investments on the continent, and assesses what the implications of China’s renewed interest in Africa are for U.S. policy.