The Dragon's Safari: A Growing Powers Application of "Soft Power" in Africa

Abstract

Chinese application of soft power has served to shift alignments for short periods of time in Africa, and, without action by the United States, may have a lasting impact on America's global hegemony. This study reviews Chinese application of co-optive, or soft, power in Africa as an attempt to shift allegiances away from the United States and towards China. It argues that shifting allegiances and gaining influence will enable China's pursuit of hegemony by offsetting the United States current position atop the balance of power. It reveals specifics of Chinese soft power application, identifies (through analysis of United Nations voting) temporary shifts in allegiances towards China by the African bloc, and argues that these temporary shifts may become permanent without action by the United States. The United States is in real danger of losing its allegiances in Africa to the Chinese and must develop a coherent strategy that can be executed by the boots on the ground to offset Chinese gains.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 26, 2018
Accession Number
AD1176987

Entities

People

  • Blair W. Faulk

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Asia
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of State
  • East Africa
  • Employment
  • Foreign Relations
  • Governments
  • Health Services
  • International Organizations
  • International Security
  • Medical Personnel
  • National Governments
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • New York
  • Public Policy
  • Students
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Asian Economic Studies
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.
  • Systems Analysis and Design