WHY CHINA’S STRATEGY MISSED THE MARK ON GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS IN AFRICA..

 The People’s Republic of China wields significant diplomatic and economic influence in Africa. Its 21st-century influence in Africa far surpasses the influence Beijing had on the continent during the 20th century. Globalisation is partly the main driver of China’s economic growth and influence. The recently concluded summit in Beijing, which brought together 46 African heads of state, turned out to be a public relations exercise and, as such, a political flop…

It was an opportunity for China to present its version of a rules-based system for the Global South. Instead, it offered an economic development package — 50 billion dollars — to promote the developmental state model in Africa, an approach tested in Ethiopia that ultimately led to dictatorship and intra-state ethnic conflicts.

The eight-point China-Africa Joint Statement fails to address the geopolitical tensions in Northeast Africa — the conflict in Sudan, and Ethiopia’s attempt to annex a Somali coastal district, violating the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia. The Red Sea is now the most geopolitically sensitive region in Africa. How can the vision of a greater role for Africa and China in global governance be achieved if China leaves to the West the task of addressing Africa’s geopolitical challenges?

Reforming global governance becomes a self-sabotaging goal if it undermines core principles such as the sovereignty of nations. China owes its economic prosperity to its integration into the global trade system. It honours agreements and obligations under the United Nations Charter. Respect for a rules-based system should have been the starting point in any attempt to reform global governance. Respecting colonial borders, territorial integrity and political independence is a key principle that prevents conflicts and geopolitical instability in Africa. The China-Africa Cooperation Summit Forum failed to emphasise this important principle.