Relative Importance of Africa to China

 Geopolitical Monitor published on 5 December 2022 an analysis titled "China-Africa Relations in Review" by Thierry Pairault.  

The author untangles the common confusion involving China's investing, financing, and providing services in Africa.  He concludes that China is economically important to Africa but Africa is not economically important to China.  On the other hand, because of their 54 votes in the UN General Assembly African countries are politically important to China.  By economically and financially assisting African countries, China is building a clientele of dependent countries that provide it with political support.

China's Belt and Road, Africa, and American Companies

Brookings posted on 11 July 2018 a commentary titled "American Companies and Chinese Belt and Road in Africa" by Yun Sun.

The author documents growing collaboration between Chinese and American companies in infrastructure projects in Africa. She cites in particular American companies such as General Electric, Caterpillar, and Honeywell.

The China-Africa Economic Relationship

McKinsey & Company published in June 2017 a major report titled "Dance of the Lions and Dragons: How Are Africa and China Engaging, and How Will the Partnership Evolve?" by Irene Yuan Sun, Kartik Jayaram, and Omid Kassiri.

To access report, go to Google and type "Dance of the lions and dragons." A PDF option titled "Dance of the lions and dragons - McKinsey & Company" appears. Open this option and then download the report.

The report aims to provide a fact-based picture of the Africa-China economic relationship. Its foundation is a large-scale data set about the economic relationship between Africa and China, including on-site interviews with more than 100 senior African business and government leaders, as well as the owners or managers of more than 1,000 Chinese firms and factories spread across eight African countries that together make up approximately two-thirds of Sub-Saharan Africa's GDP.

Comparing American and Chinese Business Models in Africa

The Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. asked me to make remarks on 15 November 2016 on "Comparing American and Chinese Business Models in Africa."

The remarks underscore the different economic principles on which American and Chinese companies operate, especially the closer ties with government in the case of Chinese companies. The comments conclude with several recommendations for the United States and Africa.

Chinese Agribusiness Entrepreneurship in Ghana and Nigeria

The China-Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University published in January 2015 a policy brief titled "Chinese Agribusiness Entrepreneurship in Africa: Case Studies in Ghana and Nigeria" by Yang Jiao, a PhD candidate at the University of Florida. 

The policy brief explores the motivation, challenges, and initial social impact of a private Chinese agribusiness enterprise in Ghana and a Chinese state-owned enterprise in Nigeria. 

Chinese Investment in Africa

The Vale Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment published on 15 April 2013 a brief study titled "How the Private Sector Is Changing Chinese Investment in Africa" by Xiaofang Shen, senior visiting scholar at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

The study explains that Chinese FDI in Africa is becoming increasingly diverse.  Until 2005, only 52 private investment projects in Africa were registered with the Chinese government.  By April 2012, this number had jumped to 923 and Chinese numbers are significantly lower than similar data provided by African countries.

Chinese private investment projects are concentrated in manufacturing (36 percent) and services (22 percent).  State-owned companies have focused on construction (35 percent) and resource extraction (25 percent).