Understanding the success of China’s foreign policies in Africa through the prism of African Agency
The ninth Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) taking place in Beijing from 4th September to 6th September, 2024, marks the first in-person FOCAC since the Covid-19 pandemic. As China adopts a more cautious approach to lending in Africa, this forum is highly anticipated, with expectations of substantial African participation, continuing the trend of FOCAC being the most popular "One+Africa" summit.
China has been Africa’s largest trading partner since 2008 and its leading provider of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) since 2013. Despite the economic asymmetries in their relationship, which have fueled narratives of "debt trap diplomacy" and a "new scramble for Africa", this report shifts the focus to the agency of African leaders within this partnership. Rather than concentrating on China's intentions, the report examines how China’s foreign policy principles and initiatives, such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and FOCAC, empower African leaders to exercise agency.
China’s five principles of peaceful coexistence—mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, non-interference, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence—have been central to its foreign policy for 70 years. These principles, reaffirmed in China’s 2023 global foreign policy white paper, underpin the FOCAC and resonate with African leaders seeking autonomy from Western conditionalities. The principles have allowed African leaders to secure aid and loans without compromising their domestic policymaking, thereby enhancing their agency.
The report further explores how the BRI and FOCAC serve as platforms for African leaders to leverage China’s economic power, diversify partnerships, and attract investments. Despite the challenges and asymmetries in the China-Africa relationship, these initiatives have provided African leaders with significant bargaining power, enabling them to pursue their development agendas more independently. This agency, however, remains constrained by the broader strategic interests of China.
