The Millennium Development Goals and Chinese involvement in French-speaking West Africa: which contributions for which issues?

Abstract

While the China–Africa relationship is often represented by Trade and Foreign Direct Investment, China also participates in the development of the continent and thus indirectly contributes to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through development assistance and associated projects. This paper employs empirical data from French-speaking West Africa to illustrate how the China–Africa relationship functions as an alternative model of development policy. This paper will first situate the modalities and structure of the modern Chinese-African relationship, then how the Chinese government positions itself relative to the MDGs and African development, and finally, through multiple examples in francophone West Africa, how these elements function in practice.