Africa-China: Eighteen Years of Change

Eighteen years after the first ground-breaking Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC, 2000), launched to officialise and institutionalize China’s relations with Africa, Beijing hosted – on 2-4 September 2018 - 50+ African heads of state/government and international actors during the 7th event of the series. Throughout these past 18 years, the global status and role of China and individual African countries changed dramatically. Mostly small players – at best – in international relations back in 2000, they are now major actors on the world stage, able to define and shape global initiatives, and re-balance power structures. While China’s economic interests in Africa may have recently slightly decreased – now having many other partners around the world, especially along the Belt and Road Initiative – other geopolitical interests are clearly making their way such as security, technological innovation and development. Why is China interested in Africa's security? How are African countries engaging China to meet their continental integration objectives? Is the EU out of the game in Africa? Are the trade deficit with China and the debt levels leading Africa to failure?