Viewing bilateral ties from Africa's perspective

Africa's fate depends on how much power it exercises, and the level of preparedness the African countries display at the upcoming FOCAC summit in Beijing

Over the past four decades, China and African countries have deepened cooperation, mainly because China believes in mutual benefit and sees a multitude of opportunities for growth and geopolitical influence in Africa, which comprises the largest bloc of developing countries.

But China's vision and efforts have often been misinterpreted as "neocolonialism" by skeptics and critics. Surprisingly, however, some of the Western economies that have warned Africa against falling into a dangerous "debt trap" by dealing with China have been consistently rushing to forge strategic partnerships with China to benefit from its economic might.