Understanding Contemporary Sino-Africa Relations: Continuity and Change.

Chinese relations with Africa have undergone a process of metamorphosis since the late 1950’s. From anti-imperialist posture and support for liberation struggles of the late 1950s and 1960s in Africa, contemporary Chinese foreign policy in Africa is a reflection of neo-liberal realpolitik or the Beijing consensus (BC) which is driven by power and an unprecedented need for resources in a fast competitive global market. As the Cold War petered out, western countries began to concentrate their investments in the transitions economies of Eastern Europe, China began to increase its investment in Africa with renewed policy based on the principles of respect for national sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs resonates with African leaders who are suspicious of motives of former colonial powers and the US. This new Chinese invigoration in Africa was crystallized with the formation in 2000 of the first China â€" Africa Cooperation Forum (CACF). China’s resurgence in Africa has seen tremendous increase in trade, aid, investment, and exchange of human capita and has become the envy of western countries.Critics of China’s resurgence in Africa have questioned China’s motives and characterized Chinese interest in Africa as a form of “new imperialism”, “scramble”, or new colonialism; and some, especially the Human Rights Watch and the World Bank have criticized China as ignoring human rights violations and encouraging corruption among African leaders. The objectives of this paper are twofold: firstly to examine and understand the trajectories of Sino Africa relations from Cold War to present; and secondly to understand the principles and ideological lenses that shaped and continues to shape these relations. In order to bridge the hiatus in our understanding of Sino-Africa relations, this paper examine the evolving history of Sino African relations, the ideological underpinnings for the relations, the patterns and nature of exchanges between Africa and China, and the changes and continuities.By Emmanuel E. Obuah ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]