Analysts weigh benefits of China-Africa relations ahead of FOCAC summit: Video
Over the past decade, China has deepened its ties with Africa, providing billions in loans for infrastructure projects, though this has also led to concerns over mounting debt in some African nations.
Policy analysts have noted that China's economic slowdown has made the country more cautious about extending large loans.
China has also sent hundreds of thousands of workers to Africa to develop megaprojects while tapping into the continent's rich natural resources, including copper, gold, lithium, and rare earth minerals.
African leaders will gather in Beijing this week for the China-Africa summit, to seek funds for large-scale infrastructure projects
Ovigwe Eguegu, a policy analyst at the consultancy Development Reimagined, highlighted the potential for collaboration in new and emerging technologies. "China now leads in areas like car batteries, solar panels, and other renewable technologies, which Africa, being energy-hungry, can benefit from," Eguegu said. "This could be a key area where both sides can achieve tangible results."
China, Africa's largest trading partner, saw bilateral trade reach $167.8 billion in the first half of this year, according to Chinese state media. Last year, Beijing’s loans to African nations hit a five-year high, with Angola, Ethiopia, Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya as top borrowers. However, Eguegu cautioned that African countries have limited leverage against China. "Some believe that the US can be used to balance China, but that is a privilege only a few countries have," he added.
Tang Xiaoyang, a professor at Tsinghua University, emphasised the broader implications of the summit. "China-Africa relations now extend beyond geographic boundaries, becoming part of the South-South cooperation framework. How both sides integrate their cooperation into the Global South vision could be the most crucial outcome of this Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)," Tang said.
The forum will be Beijing’s largest diplomatic event since the COVID-19 pandemic and will see participation from leaders of South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and other nations.
