China-Africa Forum Summit 2024: New Direction or a Familiar Template?

The article discusses the China-Africa Forum Summit 2024, which took place in Beijing from September 4-6. Over 50 African leaders and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attended the summit. China offered a financial package of 360 billion yuan ($50.7 billion) in credit lines and investments to Africa over three years. The summit focused on partnership actions related to green development, trade connectivity, health, and industrial chain cooperation. China's engagement with Africa at the highest political level has been consistent, and Chinese projects in Africa are now taking a smaller and more targeted approach. The summit also emphasized green energy transition and increasing Chinese investments in manufacturing in Africa. However, the issue of China's role in Africa's debt relief was not addressed adequately. The article also briefly mentions the Philippines and Vietnam's growing defense cooperation in response to Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea. [Extracted from the article]