Sino-Africa Relations: The Dynamics of Seized and Squandered Opportunities1

Abstract

China’s fast growing economy and its global political influence seem to provide an impetus for unprecedented development opportunities for Africa. The opportunities on the horizon would range from new and the expanding markets for African goods and services with trade preferences, investment opportunities with the potential for skills and technology transfers as well as development cooperation resources without conditionalities. This article juxtaposes the potential opportunities engendered by the current Sino-Africa cooperation against the challenges that African countries are facing in dealing with the rising superpower. It is argued that Chinese engagement in Africa is essentially driven by its national interests and that the skewed benefits in favour of the Asian power is largely a result of unequal distribution of wealth, power and influence between it and African countries. Caution is expressed to the effect that if clumsily managed, the much trumpeted “Chinese Dream” could easily degenerate into “African Nightmare.”

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