Sino-African Relationship and its impacts on Africa's Regional Integration Processes

Abstract

In recent years, Africa has emerged as a dominant region in China’s foreign policy. China has boosted its bilateral trade relationship with Africa and is currently emerging as one of Africa’s largest trading partners. While dealing with China and other emerging economies, African countries are also struggling to establish strong regional and sub-regional markets. Engaging with China therefore provides opportunities and challenges for African countries’ regional integration processes. Yet, China-Africa relationship is largely on a country-by-country basis rather than regionally. So, what is the nexus between individual country’s agreement with China and deep-rooted integration initiatives needed to construct a functioning custom union or common market in Africa? In other words, how do the Sino-African trade relations interact with African regional integration processes? And how does the growing Sino-African rapprochement affects trade and investment relations between Africa on the one hand and Europe or United States on the other hand?