china-africa-factsheet-0bdf8478d994f3e2.pdf

This fact sheet from the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) outlines the evolution of China-Africa relations, tracing them from historical ties to contemporary economic, diplomatic, and security partnerships. It highlights the role of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the shift in China's approach from 'non-interference' to active engagement in peace and security, while noting the impact of China's 'new normal' economic slowdown on bilateral trade and investment.

• The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), established in October 2000 in Beijing, serves as a tri-annual collective dialogue platform for cooperation. The sixth FOCAC, held in Johannesburg in December 2015, was the first summit hosted on African soil and resulted in a $60 billion development package pledged by President Xi Jinping.
• China's engagement in Africa has shifted from a strict policy of 'non-interference' toward active participation in peace and security. This evolution includes contributing to the UN Peacebuilding Fund, participating in UN peace support operations—including contributing 8,000 troops in September 2015—and pledging $60 million for the African Standby Force and African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC).
• China's 'One Belt, One Road' initiative, launched in 2013, aims to create a network of trading routes including the 'Silk Road Economic Belt' linking China to Europe and the '21st Century Maritime Silk Road' linking a rising Asia to developing Africa, with a focus on ports and infrastructure.
• Recent economic trends, described by President Xi Jinping as the 'New Normal,' involve slowing Chinese economic growth and falling commodity prices. This has led to a decrease in trade volume; for example, the Ministry of Commerce reported that trade between China and Africa was US$147.6 billion from January-October 2015, an 18% year-on-year decrease.
• China's investment in Africa is diversifying beyond extractive industries into sectors such as transport infrastructure, manufacturing, media, property, and services. However, non-financial investment flows decreased significantly in 2015, with the Ministry of Commerce reporting US$1.9 billion between January and October, a 40% drop from the same period in 2014.
• China employs a variety of public diplomacy tools to communicate its culture and global outlook to African audiences, including Confucius Institutes, university exchanges, think tank collaborations, and a Chinese media presence in Africa.

APA

Alden, C., & Wu, Y.-S. (2017). china-africa-factsheet-0bdf8478d994f3e2.pdf. South African Institute of International Affairs. http://www.saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/China-Africa-Factsheet.pdf

Chicago

Alden, Chris, and Yu-Shan Wu. china-africa-factsheet-0bdf8478d994f3e2.pdf. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2017. http://www.saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/China-Africa-Factsheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Alden |first1=Chris |last2=Wu |first2=Yu-Shan |title=china-africa-factsheet-0bdf8478d994f3e2.pdf |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=February 2017 |url=http://www.saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/China-Africa-Factsheet.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{alden2017chinaafricafactsheet0bdf8478d994f3e2pdf, author = {Alden, Chris and Wu, Yu-Shan}, title = {{china-africa-factsheet-0bdf8478d994f3e2.pdf}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {http://www.saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/China-Africa-Factsheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }