Research Paper on China's Growing Influence in Africa: Impact on US Trade

Problem Statement

China is making investments in the African countries in Africa, and it is winning contracts to build roads, railways, dams, and airports. The structural projects are normally accompanied by soft loans, which is an enticement making it difficult for the United States also to express its interest in the African continent. The relations are majorly conducted through military support, trade, and diplomacy, which also threatens the trade relationship between Africa and the United States.

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Background

Africa is rapidly transforming, and the approach used by the United States in Africa seems not to keep pace. As other countries are utilizing opportunities to make investments in Africa, the U.S is struggling to compete efficiently (Brigety, 2018). The United States political, emotional, and intellectual interest in Africa has monumentally grown over the years. In 1960, the African continent took 4% of the U.S exports and supplied it with 3.7% of the imports (Emerson, 2019). America has invested approximately $850,000,000 in Africa over the past years (Emerson, 2019). Even with this investment, China currently has a lot of influence in the region, making it a threat to the United States. In the past, China has expanded its influence in Africa. Zhang, Wasserman, and Mano (2016) argue that soft power initiatives engineered by China have led to the partial success of African countries like Zimbabwe and South Africa. China's commitment to the African continent is stronger now, and this is evident by a forum like China-Africa Cooperation where African countries and China strengthens their cooperation on Chinese Road and Belt Initiative a sign of several bilateral agreements.

Analysis

According to Withers (2019), it is the European countries that first had interest in Africa during the 19th century in which they seized the African land. The second time was during the cold war, and the third surge is underway. The cold war made nations to have their own interactions, institutions, and interests (Frieden, Lake, & Schultz, 2015). Currently, China and the U.S have become rivals as they are competing over influence, resources, and policy in Africa (Ilunga, 2015). Ansley (2017) argues that the United States is interested in African matters as it is a threat to its security interests. Also, in stemming transnational threats like pandemics and terrorism, Africa should be stable. Furthermore, the United States has an interest in Africa because the population of the continent is growing, and it has economic and political power.

China is mainly interested in African natural resources like oil for its growing consumption. This issue has made it have economic and diplomatic engagement in Africa which a country like the U.S also has an interest. Most of the times, China has been criticized for exploiting the resources of Africans instead of enhancing the development of the continent (San & Olin-Ammentorp, 2014). It is evident when the Chinese get contracts in Africa, and it does not hire the locals or even make contributions to human resource development. Instead, it only establishes favorable contracts for itself, making China a threat to the interest of the United States (San & Olin-Ammentorp, 2014). In a statement issued by Bolton, he argued that "China uses bribes, opaque agreements, and the strategic use of debt to hold states in Africa captive to Beijing's wishes and demands" (Calamur, 2018). In Africa, China has been able to build railways, dams, and roads even in the areas that do not have connectivity and signed enticing contracts regarding raw materials but kept mum on the issue of corrupt leaders.

Recommendations

Some of the recommendations for addressing the issue of China dominating Africa includes deepening regional economic integration between Africa and the U.S. It will help in promoting trade and attracting investment which drives commercial expansion in the African region and global markets. The other recommendation for Trump is prioritizing on security. China has mainly made an impact in the region through infrastructural development. Unfortunately, security is a major issue that affects countries like Nigeria, South Sudan, Egypt, and the Democratic Republic of Cong. Thus, giving it a priority by ensuring that the African countries are secure will enhance the relationship between African countries and the United States. Making security a priority will also benefit the United States as it is difficult to engage in economic trade with countries that are unstable. The last recommendation is tolerating financial aid because reducing aid can weaken the strategic position of the African continent. It is important to expand the security cooperation of the continent and ensure that there is stability.

References

Ansley, R. (2017). This is Why Africa Matters to the United States. Atlantic Council. Retrieved from https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/this-is-why-africa-matters-to-the-united-states

Brigety, R. (2018). A Post-American Africa. Foreign Affairs. Retrieved from https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/africa/2018-08-28/post-american-africa

Emerson, R. (2019). American Policy in Africa. Foreign Affairs. Retrieved from https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/africa/1962-01-01/american-policy-africa

Frieden, J.A., Lake, D.A., & Schultz, K.A. (2015). World Politics: Interests, Interactions, Institutions (3rd ed.). New York, NY: WW Norton & Company.

San, Y., & Olin-Ammentorp, J. (2014). The US and China in Africa: Competition or Cooperation? Brookings. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2014/04/28/the-us-and-china-in-africa-competition-or-cooperation/

Withers, M. (2019). The new scramble for Africa: This time, the winners could be Africans themselves. The Economist. Retrieved from https://www.economist.com/leaders/2019/03/07/the-new-scramble-for-africa

Yenda Ilunga, Y. (2015). Eye on Africa: US and China tussle for economic influence. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/eye-on-africa-us-and-china-tussle-for-economic-influence-37009

Zhang, X., Wasserman, H., & Mano, W. (2016). China's expanding influence in Africa: projection, perception and prospects in Southern African countries. Communicatio, 42(1), 1-22.