China’s Grand Strategy In Africa

Since "China stood up", its footprint in Africa has been remarkable and has continued to expand in Africa. This new relations between China and Africa can be described in the words of Gramsci, as,"the old is dying yet the new is yet to be born". But a fundamental question remains:Is there a Chinese strategy in foreign affairs asked R. Sutter? This debate about China’s strategy among scholars is great, especially in Africa. This study therefore, attempts to identify China’s Grand Strategy in Africa and examines how it guides this strategy in Africa by choosing some countries with a strong Chinese presence (Angola, Nigeria, and Sudan) as examples to verify the evidence.While some specialists deny the fact that China has a clear strategy in world affairs, the answer to the question is affirmative. In Africa, China has chosen the cultural strategic approach as posited by Alastair Johnson the accommodation strategy to advance it national interests. China’s Grand Strategy is not military in nature. Rather China has adopted a clever economic diplomatic and cultural strategy to achieve its goals. China’s accommodationist strategy is by its choice to use in a symbiotic manner its national strength, its experiences, intellectual skill its strategic culture which is "nonviolent", more" righteous" and benevolent in nature.The main driving forces of China’s grand strategies in Africa are economic and diplomatic interests. Economically, China has three mains areas of strategic interests in Africa:the first interest is the potential of Africa as market for Chinese manufactured goods; the second interest constitutes Africa’s oil as a source of energy; and finally Africa as a resource pool for raw material to meet the demand of China’s growing economy. Politically, China seeks to cultivate international political support and to bolster its claims to Taiwan. In an anarchic system where states have the freedom to choose between the hard approach and the soft way to advance their national interest, China has chosen its own model which it will be able to control and assess the impact of that strategy. Therefore China has chosen the benevolent, soft manner to approach Africa.After an in-depth examination of the guidance of this strategy based on China’s strategic culture and within a realist explanatory framework, this study concludes and reinforces "Chinese difference" in dealing with World Affairs and especially in Africa. In contrast to the Washington Consensus, the Chinese road rejects shock therapy and the big bang in favor of a process of gradual reform based on working through existing institutions such as FOCAC. As friends, there is no calculation on economics turns; but as partners, both sides should benefit from cooperation (win-win cooperation) and because both China and Africa share a history of being colonized or semi-colonized by imperialist powers; national independence and sovereignty are highly appreciated by both sides.With a limited number of possible tools or instruments in strategic model, Beijing employs methods that can be grouped into the following categories:diplomatic, economic and culture and military. The Chinese Africa strategic approach is very close to the so called "smart power" which is "the full range of tools at a state’s disposal-diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal, and cultural-picking the right tool, or the combinations of tools, for each situation." In countries like Angola, Nigeria, and Sudan, China has been working hard to provide much-needed development assistance, using a smart mixing of the tools at its disposal such as its tangible, intangible and fungible resources.Evidence shows that a-closer look into China’s activities in Angola revealed that contrary to economic model or the so called "Angola Model" described by some scholars, the political model is a "State Building Model" after many fears of guerilla and civil war. As far as Nigeria is concerned, this study reveals a "Nation Capability Building Model" For many years, Nigeria desires to projects its power in the West Africa region through economic, technology and military. China is helping Nigeria through the launch of a satellite in the orbit to develop and modernize its capabilities. It seems that Sudan has become Chinese "protectee", for Sudan’s government needs international patronage to survive. The model of Sudan seems to look like the strategy of "lean one side of Mao" China shows its commitment to the developing world especially African countries that the East can be trusted as well as support the rejected nations such as Zimbabwe.By then, such a commitment in Africa encounters of course opportunities and challenges for both parties engaged in the cooperation.Chinese accommodation strategy is an opportunity because the competition over African resources gives Africans countries more leverage in the negotiation process and allows them to haggle for terms. China has also better terms and more flexibility regarding aid financing to Africa. Between China and Africa, technical assistance and cooperation in science and technology is also expanding. The European financial crisis and the United States’financial crisis is an opportunity for China to use its economic leverage to advance its nations interests in Africa. In a word, China-Africa cooperation offers to both parties a good opportunity to boost their common interests.Other scholars voice that China’s Grand Strategy in Africa constitutes the rise of a new imperialism. For example, Africa’s trade imbalance with China, as raw resources are imported from Africa and some Chinese manufactured goods are exported to Africa illustrated the concern from African countries. Again the win-win cooperation must not be just only between states and states but must also be effective on a private level which means people to people and among firms. The level of the competition over the "control of Africa" has become very high in Africa because of the prevailing dominance of established interests, primarily from the US, France and the United Kingdom (UK), from the colonial era divisions refracted through the politics of the Cold War. Additionally, the problems of Africa are well known-the lack of good governance, the endemic conflicts, the appalling poverty, the lack of educational opportunities and the catastrophic health situation. In either case, the lack of expeditionary military will force China to become dependent on the international community and institutions to help stabilize and to foster development in Africa. China by embracing, multilateralism will be obliged to get in the so called "concert of power arrangement" or "the humanitarian issues" to address the issue of conflicts of interest between the US, China, Russia, Japan, India, Germany, France and Britain because they all share an interest in combating terrorism, anarchy, and aggression from countries such as Somalia and Sudan. The common practice of a multi-party system nowadays in most African countries requires China to not only strengthen ties with African government and ruling parties, but also set up closers contacts with their opposition parties, NGO and civil society organizations.This study finds out that Realism is still alive. It is still one the best analytical tools of international relations events. By analyzing China’s footprint in Africa through a realist view, constitutes an act of prudence. China and Africa must avoid the western history described in Stephen V. Evera’s words the so called "cult of offensive" or some aggressive behaviors to break the mutual confidence between the two partners. This study reveals once again the interest of the importance of culture mainly Chinese culture in dealing with world affairs. It constitutes a powerful engine of the development of nations.However, China’s Accommodation Strategy must be understood in H. Morgenthau words "the struggle for Prestige". The recovery of Chinese ancestral prestige or the "Rejuvenation", the desire to re-establish China’s pride as a great nation not only wealthy and powerful in its own right but also capable of offering universal value to mankind, mixing national self-interest and a utopian passion in a way called moral benevolence. Accordingly, China’s benevolent strategy in Africa is to show the whole world that there is not a universal model of development as the western powers claim."The profound lesion" lesson that China provides for other developing states is "start from national conditions, take your own road"(cong guoqing chufa, zou zipi de lu).