Beijing, China – China has extended a warm welcome to African leaders this week as it seeks to strengthen its relationship with the resource-rich continent, which has been a major recipient of Chinese loans for infrastructure and development projects.
This year’s China-Africa forum, described by Beijing as its largest diplomatic event since the Covid-19 pandemic, is set to bring together more than a dozen leaders and delegations from across Africa. The event underscores China’s ongoing commitment to deepening its ties with African nations.
China has invested heavily in Africa, sending hundreds of thousands of workers to the continent to construct large-scale infrastructure projects while also tapping into Africa’s vast reserves of natural resources, including copper, gold, lithium, and rare earth minerals. While these investments have fueled development, they have also sparked controversy due to the significant debt burdens they have placed on African countries.
As the world’s second-largest economy, China is Africa’s leading trading partner. Bilateral trade between the two reached $167.8 billion in the first half of this year, according to Chinese state media. In Beijing, security measures have been heightened, with roads and bus stops adorned with banners proclaiming that China and Africa are “joining hands for a brighter future.”
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is among the leaders attending the forum, arriving in Beijing on Monday for a four-day visit that will also include a trip to the southern tech hub of Shenzhen. Trade between China and South Africa surged to $38.8 billion in 2023, according to the South African presidency. Ramaphosa met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, with the two leaders expected to sign several agreements aimed at bolstering economic and technical cooperation.
Xi also held talks with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi. China has a substantial presence in the DRC, driven by its interest in the country’s vast mineral resources. However, China has faced security challenges in the region; a July attack on a mining site in the gold-rich Ituri province resulted in the deaths of at least four Chinese nationals.
Leaders from Djibouti, which hosts China’s first overseas military base, as well as Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Mali, and other African nations, also arrived in Beijing over the weekend.
Research by the Chinese Loans to Africa Database reveals that Beijing’s loans to African countries in the past year were the highest in five years, with Angola, Ethiopia, Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya being the top recipients. However, the total amount of loans has decreased significantly from the peak in 2016 when they reached nearly $30 billion. Recent loans have increasingly been directed to local banks, a strategy seen as a way to mitigate credit risks for Chinese lenders.
As China grapples with its own economic slowdown, analysts suggest that Beijing is becoming more cautious about making large financial commitments. This year’s summit takes place against the backdrop of growing global competition for influence in Africa, with African leaders observing the intensifying rivalry between China and the United States. Washington has previously criticized Beijing’s activities in Africa, accusing China of pursuing narrow commercial and geopolitical interests at the expense of transparency and openness.