China has promised more gifts for Africa in the Year of the Dragon. But, behind pledges of food and financial aid, skills development, assistance with building infrastructure and win-win economic ties, lies a cunning strategy to become more politically powerful by convincing us all its intentions are noble. This is revealed in a close inspection of China’s African Policy.
And, although China derides western powers for exploitative behaviour in the developing world, China’s Africa strategy appears to be taken straight out of a book written by influential international relations theorist Joseph Nye, a trusted adviser over the years to the US government and Harvard Professor. Nye developed the term “soft power”, a catchy description for a country’s ability to get us to do what we want through co-option rather than coercion.