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Writer's pictureAustin Mitchell Wallace
Mar 224 min read

Is China Neocolonial in Africa?

How China's global initiatives appear almost neocolonial.


 

Chinese Officials at the African Union. - (Chatham House, 2024)

 

Less than a century ago, Africa was controlled by a handful of European nations, most predominantly the British and French. These two nations occupied the vast majority of the continent's territory, resources, and people. Their rule was brutal and segregationist. However, it was not long for the world, and by the mid to late 50s, independence movements began to change the tide of rule on the continent. The following decades would see Africa gain freedom and independence from European direct rule. However, following direct rule would come decades of European influence on the region until a new power in the 21st century would change the continental geopolitical position. 

China is no stranger to colonial rule; it was a victim of imperialism, with two of its most infamous enclaves, Macau and Hong Kong, being Portuguese and British colonies. During colonial rule, most of China was under British and French imperial influence, resulting in a period the Chinese refer to as the "century of humiliation" (Kaufman, 2011). This period of Chinese history has directly affected the motivations of the current Chinese Premier, President Xi Jin Ping. This history has caused a "Grievance-based Nationalism," which has caused a shift toward mass military and political build-up globally (USC, 2024). Along with this comes an ideological factor that has meant China sees its expansion globally and to Taiwan as a birthright. "...there remain several vestiges of that period that, in the minds of many Chinese, must be rectified before China's recovery will be considered complete." (Kaufman, 2011). 

This idea of rectifying the wrongdoing in China stemmed from the "Chinese Dream" idea and the belief in undoing the "Century of Humiliation" in China's new external view. This all culminated in a mass expansion into places such as Africa, once the backdrop to mass European colonialism, which is now a resource pile the Chinese government sees as the future of its rapid manufacturing future. "China is now Africa's biggest trading partner, with Sino-African trade topping $200 billion per year. Over 10,000 Chinese firms are currently operating throughout the African continent, and the value of Chinese business there since 2005 amounts to more than $2 trillion, with $300 billion in current investments. Africa has also passed Asia as the largest market for China's overseas construction projects." (FA, 2024). This expansion has laid the groundwork for Chinese officials to pay off corrupt African leaders and even manipulate and work around the African Union. Nothing in Africa happens now without Beijing knowing or getting a say. The Western Bloc once held this type of influence and power but has slowly shifted away since French failures in West Africa, decolonization, and American isolationism. Alongside China, Russia and even the UAE have expanded to the continent, showing a major ideological shift. 

However, like colonialism from the last century, modern-day Chinese Neo-colonial practices victimize the civilian populations of many African countries who now work in horrendous conditions in Chinese-owned mines like in the DRC. "Witnesses will provide testimony about the malign presence of Chinese companies in cobalt supply chains, the extent of child and forced labor in those supply chains originating in the DRC, the PRC's contribution to environmental degradation of the region, and recommendations for U.S. action." (CECC, 2024). These human rights violations have begun to shed light on the rapid and sometimes deadly Chinese expansion on the continent. Much like the movements that resisted European rule, African movements have sprung up against foreign investment and involvement threatening African economies and independence. However, in a turn of events, the British Commonwealth, USA, and France have seen this new anti-Chinese sentiment as an opportunity to gain popularity on the continent by promoting human rights and proper practices for mining and resource extraction (USIP, 2022).

This move, however, appears too little too late, but the future of this rivalry of the continent still could be shifted. China and Africa are now major trade partners, with "China-Africa relations are the bedrock of China's foreign policy." (Chatham House, 2023). With African nations like Kenya, Angola, Egypt, the DRC, and Burundi in massive Chinese debt, the future of this independent continent appears uncertain and dangerous. As China builds up a military/economic presence through their UN Peacekeeping missions, bases, trade deals, and mining deals, Africa is looking evermore under the CCP's control. With Western onlookers looking concerned over this situation, it will likely take a combined group of French, British, and American investors and political scientists to overturn this current geopolitical landscape; otherwise, Africa is looking towards a Chinese (and, to a lesser extent, UAE and Russian) future. 

 

Bibliography

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The “century of humiliation” and China’s national narratives. https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/3.10.11Kaufman.pdf (March 21, 2024b).



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Mary Madeleine Edel WAN YAN CHAN. 2018. “China in Africa: A Form of Neo-Colonialism?” E. https://www.e-ir.info/2018/12/02/china-in-africa-a-form-of-neo-colonialism/ (March 21, 2024).


Munshi, Neil. 2024. “The Gulf State Rivaling Big Players Such as China and the US in Africa.” Bloomberg.com. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-03-21/the-gulf-state-rivaling-big-players-such-as-china-and-the-us-in-africa?embedded-checkout=true (March 21, 2024).


Rapanyane, Makhura. 2021. “Neocolonialism and New Imperialism: Unpacking the Real Story of China’s Africa Engagement in Angola, Kenya, and Zambia.” Journal of African Foreign Affairs 8(3): 89–112. doi: 10.31920/2056-5658/2021/v8n3a5.


Sharma, Naveen. “China in Africa: Soft Power and the Development of Neocolonial States.” Cornell Undergraduate Research Journal. https://journals.library.cornell.edu/index.php/CURJ/article/view/716 (March 21, 2024).

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