Western Powers' Reaction To China' Soft Power Diplomacy In Africa

The recent reemergence of China on the international scene has led to some growing concerns on his potential to change the current international status quo and the implications that would mean for both the regional and the global stability.This rise has affected the significance of China in the foreign policy especially its soft power diplomacy of most countries,as well as the development of China's foreign policy.Some states,afraid of the threat that the emergence of China as a great power could pose,have tried to contain China and to limit its regional and international influence.This is the case of France which is scared to lose its influence over its traditional colonies,Cameroon and others.Indeed both china and the western powers have both the same desire and aims in Africa which is to set their influence as super powers.However,Paris and Beijing have adopted different approaches of international relations and diplomacy in Africa.While china highlights more the power of prestige,the use of economic tools for political bargaining,and soft power1,France emphasizes more on the power of aggressiveness,the use of both economic and military tools for political bargaining and hard power2.This paper aims at explaining the approach of china's soft power diplomacy in Cameroon and how France which consider their colonies as their traditional properties react.We will also explain the behavior of those African countries towards France and China which use different power diplomacy to influence them.And will talk about the economic development of Cameroon regardless the advantages of the Chinese soft power diplomacy.