China’s Grand Strategy through Infrastructure Projects in Africa

Lechini, Gladys; Dussort, María Noel; Marchetti, Agustina

doi:10.1163/15700615-20211003

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Therefore, it is not surprising that Xi Jinping discusses the global economy and development on a variety of occasions both at home and abroad, particularly in relation to the global promotion of BRI and other investment/funding schemes through the AIIB. This aims to increase China’s economic worldwide presence and penetration in all sectors and regions, including its ambition to control African economies (Hameiri and Jones, 2018; Lechini et al, 2020).…”

Section: China’s Economic Expansion Under XI Jinpingmentioning

confidence: 99%

How China’s Debt-Trap Diplomacy Works in African Countries: Evidence from Zimbabwe, Cameroon, and Djibouti

Al-Fadhat

Prasetio

2022

Journal of Asian and African Studies

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Since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was initiated in 2013, China under Xi Jinping has continued to expand its capital to various countries. This expansion is part of China’s strategy to shore up its position as a major global economic and political power vis-à-vis the United States. As nearly 70 countries have joined the BRI network, this economic cooperation scheme contributes to economic growth and helps close the infrastructure gap. Nevertheless, the case of China’s capital expansion in Africa has shown mixed results, where some economies are becoming more dependent and even facing a debt trap. This article addresses why such economic cooperation has turned into a debt trap for countries in the African region. Applying the concept of Structural Power in examining China’s investment in Zimbabwe, Cameroon, and Djibouti, this article argues that the debt trap has been caused by the structural disparity between China as an investor and African countries as investment recipients. China, in this case, has a more dominant “good” aspect, while African countries are more in “need.” This article also contends that the debt trap is a strategy carried out by the Chinese government to dominate the African economies in the long run. The three case studies are valuable as they represented different geographical locations in the region and portray a border of lower middle-income countries in general.

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Section: China’s Economic Expansion Under XI Jinpingmentioning

confidence: 99%