Sino-Africa Relations: A Case of Neo-Colonialism?

Abstract

China’s official relationship with Africa dates back to the 1950s when they first met at the Bandung Conference in Indonesia. The relationship has been strengthened through increased economic activities through trade, investment and aid which has been coupled with the establishment of FOCAC in the 21st century to regularize the diplomatic and political relations and provide a common platform where all African countries can interact with their Chinese counterpart. The heightened relationship between China and Africa has caused a stir in the political, economic, media and academic circles across the globe. There are fears of neo-colonialism associated with this relationship. The study thus set out to investigate the veracity of the claim of China being a neo-colonial state. To achieve the objectives, the study employed qualitative methods by relying on data from primary and secondary sources. In identifying the target population, the purposeful sampling techniques was used and data collected through semi-structured interview guides. Using the content analysis, the study analyzed the relationship between China’s trade, aid and investment with Africa with particular interest on Ghana from 2005 to 2015 through the broad framework of China’s policy towards Africa. The relationship between China and Africa has increased significantly since the beginning of the 21st century. The relationship which is supposed to be grounded in south to south cooperation is rather modeled on similar north to south relations. The relationship between China and Africa provides Africa with both prospects and challenges. China’s activities and interactions in Africa is best explained in the context of neo-colonialism.