China’s Aid and Trade in Africa: Attitudes and Actualities

This PhD project examines the relations between China and Africa, and, in particular, seeks to focus on the impact of this developing association on Africa and, by extension, the international world order. It concentrates on the interconnected subjects of aid and trade, looking specifically at the actualities and attempting to separate these from the various opinions on the subject. It pursues three interesting questions: What challenges does China’s involvement in changing the nature of aid in Africa pose to the existing international world order? What are the repercussions thereof to the African people, their governments, regional organizations and economic sectors? Is China offering Africa a viable long-term and more-beneficial alternative to traditional Western aid?

Empirically, the project would like to contribute with a comprehensive analysis of the scope and impact of the influence of China on aid in Africa, an inclusive study of which has not yet been done.

By drawing on theoretical elements of international political economy (IPE) and institutionalism, it hopes to construct a qualitative framework, which can then be applied to and developed with empirical comparative case studies.