Bonds hold firm in Sino-African relations

Chinese cooperation with continent based on multilateralism, scholars say

The United States' increasing involvement in Africa will not contain the friendly cooperation and historical bond that China and Africa have, African scholars said.

Commenting on the US-Africa Leaders Summit held in Washington from Tuesday to Thursday, Gideon Chitanga, a researcher in the African Centre for the Study of the United States at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, said the summit is partly planned to challenge China's growing influence in Africa, including the Belt and Road Initiative, which has achieved great success in the continent.

Although the US has offered plans to increase aid to African countries and help them with infrastructure development, whether the promises can really turn into action remains doubtful, he said.

"The US is trying to focus on infrastructural development in Africa belatedly. This is a bit copying, cutting and pasting the kind of approach to Chinese partnership with African countries which has mainly focused on infrastructural development," Chitanga said.

He explained that when there is a focus on infrastructural projects, a country becomes closer to the citizens who have seen the benefits on the ground. Chitanga stated that the US has been "dangling the carrot" in front of African leaders, promising investment in Africa focusing on climate change, energy and the private sector focusing on youths, entrepreneurship and new technology. However, there has been little movement on money from the US to Africa despite some commitment.

"It depends on how much the US follows up on," he said.

Chitanga said US-Africa relations are complicated by the fact that the US was aligned with colonial establishments. He said African countries are suspicious of US intentions in the African continent. Chitanga said some see the US as a country that leads by force and seeks to dominate, giving direction to policy and political discourse around the world.