Search

Relying on primary information from fieldwork and local newspaper articles, this paper presents the successes of the pragmatic Chinese foreign policy in Africa, as well as its challenges (sometimes failures) that have emerged in recent years in the context of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which has been in operation for almost two decades. The focus is on soft Chinese loans and the infrastructure investments financed from them, which have also raised anti-Chinese sentiments in the four East African countries examined (Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda). The author points out that there is a need for strategic planning and thinking on the Chinese side, and even more on the African side, on the one hand, in terms of financial viability and return on investment, and, on the other, in managing social inclusion and, in particular, potential frustration. The study could contribute to a better understanding of local and international reactions and interpretations of the Chinese government's socalled 'charm' offensive across Africa, as well as a deeper apprehension of Sino-African dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]