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It has long been recognised that the actors involved in crafting and implementing China's foreign policy are not always in agreement. This paper argues that the prioritisation of commercial outreach over purely political objectives in Africa has led to a shift in influence from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM). To that end, the paper examines the rising prominence of China Exim Bank's concessional loans as a foreign policy instrument in Africa along with the process through which they are negotiated and implemented. Using the case of Angola, this paper shows how despite formal institutional equality, the MOFCOM is playing a far more influential role than the MFA is in defining the direction of China's foreign policy toward Africa.

China's relations with Africa have grown exponentially over the past decade. During the 1990s, Sino-African trade grew by 700 per cent and many high-level visits occurred from 1995. China's heightened political interest in Africa has paved the way for the entry of Chinese companies of all sectors into Africa's economies. The entry of Chinese companies into Africa, largely state-directed in nature, is spurred on by the need for energy security and new markets, as well as specifically political objectives. Their engagement in Africa, though not without its challenges, has the potential to benefit both African countries and Chinese commercial interests.