African Nations Are Not Spheres of Influence

Abstract

China is using a whole-of-government approach and utilizing instruments of the liberal internationalist order to build cooperation and influence with African nations. As a result, China and African nations are now more engaged and interconnected in trade, infrastructure, and security cooperation. China's growing involvement in Africa, while alarming when viewed through the Cold War lens of spheres of influence, must be analyzed on its own merits. The United States should view China in Africa as a source of both cooperation and competition, rather than a threat to United States national security or African regional stability. After establishing China's Objectives with the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) , this paper will present the main areas of Chinese involvement in Africa, with a critique of the overly simplistic perception of China as only an antagonist in the region. Specifically, this paper will explore financial aid, infrastructure, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), support of regional institutions, education, and security cooperation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 10, 2019
Accession Number
AD1077942

Entities

People

  • Nicholas D. Bularzik

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Asia
  • China
  • Cold War
  • Commerce
  • Competition
  • Continents
  • Education
  • Geography
  • Governments
  • Infrastructure
  • International Organizations
  • National Security
  • Political Science
  • Security
  • Students
  • Training
  • United States

Readers

  • Asian Economic Studies
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Strategic Security Studies