China's Foreign Policy Shift in Africa: From Non-Interference to Preponderance

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe penetration of Beijing into the African continent is radically changing the economic landscape of the region. The non-interference policy states that China does not meddle in the internal affairs of other nations and this is a core part of the five principles of peaceful coexistence; others include mutual respect for a nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, equality based on mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence. Furthermore, there has been no corresponding change in Beijing's foreign policy in terms of ambitions, alliances and interests. The Asian power is following the same foreign policy it has pursued since 1954: a policy of non-interference. The article argues that the non-interference policy has outlived its usefulness; Beijing needs to revisit this policy of non-interference in order to guard its economic investments and political interests, which have grown and come under threat recently. The research concludes that the policy of non-interference can be replaced by ‘preponderance’.