China- Africa ties will survive regime change
Political changes in Africa coupled with a change of guard in Chinese politics are expected to have a significant impact both domestically and internationally.
At the very top of Chinese politics, changes are in the pipeline with expected reshuffles and the retirement of senior political figures, which could shift the political landscape in very crucial ways.
Africa is currently undergoing major political changes that are affecting how countries behave as independent entities on the global political and economic stage, and also how officials from these countries interact with each other.
A series of general elections, particularly starting this year, in various major countries such as Kenya and Somalia, will affect not only regional politics but also ongoing partnerships.
The Africa- China partnership has been growing in leaps and bounds, especially in the last four years.
Partnering with China was, until about four years ago, a show of rebellion by African governments when they faced hostilities from the West. This has changed. China is now a serious option.
This shows how much political rebellion in Africa has improved partnerships with the East to an extent that China is no longer an alternative.
Many sitting political regimes have warmed up significantly toward the East. There are speculations, however, on whether these partnerships will hold under changes of political guard.
Furthermore, these specula- tions are delving into whether a possible change of regimes will deepen or weaken the Africa- China partnership. Though China is hands off on domestic politics, politics affect and change dynamics. This is largely due to the fact that different regimes tend to uphold and advance different agendas, which ultimately affect foreign policy. Politics and policy go hand in hand, hence, the ongoing anxiety over the future of China in Africa, and also the future of Africa in China. There are many indications that China- Africa relations run deep enough to survive political regime change. China continues to broaden the platforms on which it engages with Africa. In the beginning, this partnership was largely built on financial aid to Africa in the form of loans. This has since morphed into attempts to develop and sustain a partnership of equals where Africa has significantly benefited from mega projects driven by China. For any economic partnership to last, peace is fundamental. Not only has China pledged to offer the African Union an estimated $ 60 million to assist in building a strong army that can thwart instability in various parts of Africa, it is also supporting Africa in counter- terrorism efforts.
China’s deepening efforts toward peacebuilding in Africa can be seen in the South Sudan peacekeeping efforts where the youngest nation in Africa has been torn apart time and time again by civil strife.
Terrorism is a major concern in Africa and China has deepened relations with Somalia, Kenya and Nigeria which are some of the major countries that have suffered greatly from terrorism.
China has also increased its media presence in Africa, successfully and effectively supporting digital migration across the continent, while providing jobs for workers in Africa’s media.
Africa and China are also collaborating on issues of climate change and environmental protection in a bid to ensure that there is sustainable development to address extreme hunger and poverty on the continent.
Therefore, there is more to the Africa- China relationship than building roads and superhighways. This partnership has deepened to an extent where it is no longer about individuals but sustainable development, which will certainly survive political changes.