China and African ‘Development’ in the Twenty-First Century Global World

Abstract

One of the major emerging powers or developing nations in the world that is strengthening its economic ties with Africa is China. However, China is by far the most important and powerful party in this alliance. China has established the most significant connections with Africa, which is home to the greatest number of developing countries globally, in addition to fortifying ties with other continents and areas that are home to developing countries, such as Latin America and Central Asia. This article analyses the interplay between China's foreign policy, political economy, and developmental initiatives in Africa, while assessing the adequacy of modern theories in political geography, international relations (IR), and development studies in explaining these evolving dynamics. In fact, it looks into how Beijing views changes in the world political scene and the historical transformation of Africa in relation to its foreign policy strategy. It also examines China's state-centered, bilateral approach to relations with African allies. This paper highlights that, in contrast to the strategies adopted by Western countries since the 1950s, China is experiencing something new and a little disturbing with the idea of "development" as a separate policy domain. In order to fully comprehend how China is, for the first time since the 1980s, offering new "choices" and changing the face of African development, it promotes a thorough analysis of the larger geopolitics surrounding China-Africa relations, both past and present, as opposed to focusing only on particular aspects like aid or governance.