Sino-African relations: an analytical overview of China's natural resources policy in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Abstract

This paper focuses on China's role on the African continent. As will be revealed in the sections below, the dynamics of Sino-African relations have drawn attention from academics, private Western corporations and states as well as policy analysts. Of key concern is the nature of China's aid and development policies as employed in various African countries in addition to the implications of China's unwavering influence on Africa's political governance. China's foreign policy and outlook on international relations, of which its African strategy represents the most illuminating case, have been strongly influenced by the country's path to economic development. Beijing's unique brand of resource acquisition strategies and trade and investment policies towards the African continent present a divergence from the norm set by Western corporations and adherents of the 'Washington Consensus', and China's distinctive approach presents a series of critical opportunities and challenges for Africa which are deserving of academic scrutiny. This paper observed that China's 'Beijing Consensus' as driven by 'soft power' and the 'win-win' principle, with the application of copper acquisition from the Democratic Republic of Congo.