Our Friend or Foe? Exploring CommonGrounds for China-Africa Relations

China’s presence in Africa has a long history of cordial interaction spanning from ancient to contemporary times.The history of China-Africa relations is held in high esteem by the two sides,as both share a history of foreign invasions and of solidarity for a common destiny.However,new narratives promoted by antagonists of China’s presence in Africa are constructed to portray China in a negative light without recourse to history.Arguably,the Chinese exploration of Africa can be said to have started many centuries before the arrival of Europeans on the continent.     

ABSTRACTS

China and Africa： An Initial Analysis of the Involvement of China＇s State-owned Enterprises in the Construction of the Three Grand Networks in Africa
Zhi Yuchen
China＇s cooperation with Africa in constructing the three grand networks in Africa not only reflects China＇s economic and trade policies towards Africa, but also meets the needs of the social and economic development in Africa. The active participation of the Chinese state-owned enterprises in such projects on the bases of their advantages not only imply their needs of internationalization, but also facilitates the state-owned capital to make contributions to China＇s external economic and trade strategy. This paper, based on the facts of China＇s investment and achievements in the construction of communication infrastructure in Africa as well as the reality of African planning and construction of communication networks, has meticulously analyzed the major concerns of the five sub-regions in Africa and talked about the significance of Chinese stateowned enterprises＇ participation in the construction of the three grand networks in Africa as well as the governing principles and possible routes.     

Impact of the Chinese Model in Africa

The Chinese model has a fairly big influence in Africa. Ever since reform and opening-up, China has been focusing on the central task of economic construction, which brought rapid economic growth, strengthening comprehensive national power, improving lives of the people and extending international influence. The success of the Chinese model has aroused much interest in the world, especially Africa, and produced positive effects. It is the outcome of a combination of several factors, such as the attraction of China＇s development, the impetus produced by that development and the appeal of China＇s friendly policies. Nevertheless, China is not going to sell its model and ultimately Africa has to carve out its own way of development.     

China＇s Engagement in African Security Cooperation： Evolution and Prospects

Although China began to engage in military cooperation with Africa quite soon after the founding of the People＇s Republic in 1949, there are as yet few articles on Sino-African security cooperation. Now, with a much closer security relationship between China and Africa, there is a need for more study of this issue. This article gives some idea of the evolution of Chinese engagement in African security cooperation and examines new opportunities for, and challenges to, a more active Chinese engagement in Africa in this domain.     

World Geopolitics and China＇s Choices

Since the beginning of the 21st century, international geostrategic thinking has experienced two important changes. First, the rise of the Asia Pacific region as a global economic power has shifted the world geopolitical center of gravity from the Euro-Atlantic region to the Asia Pacific region at an ever increasing speed. Second, globalization along with Asia Pacific＇s rise has shaken up world geopolitics. Traditionally, geopolitics centered on power struggles and preparations for war but this is now dying out. New geopolitics emphasizes global interdependence and cooperation. These changes provide a rising China with new opportunities. They are creating favorable conditions for the nation in its ascendance. China now needs to formulate a new geostrategy.     

Challenges and Opportunities in Development Cooperation Between China and Traditional Donors in Africa

Cooperation between China and traditional donors in Africa is a part of new triangular mode of development bringing together three parties:traditional donors,emerging donors,and the beneficiary countries.Traditional donors and emerging donors act together in favor of and in cooperation with beneficiary countries.Triangular development cooperation is an extension of classical North-South and South-South cooperation.As yet,it does not feature prominently in the global development cooperation architecture.China’s emergence as a significant contributor of development aid to Africa,however,has now become a hot topic in China,Africa and the West,and questions are being raised about the way in which China and the traditional donors will engage with each other in Africa.This article argues that while China and the traditional donors face a number of challenges,there is potential for the two parties to implement further cooperation in Africa.     

Evolvement of New China＇s Relations with Other Developing Countries

China＇s relationship with other developing countries is an important basis for China＇s foreign strategy. Since its founding, New China has accumulated complex experience and achieved rich fruits in how to handle and develop its relations with other developing countries. It has experienced contradictions between ideology and national identity and also made strenuous efforts to safeguard the country＇s strategic independence. Since the introduction of the reform and opening-up policy, China has rapidly enhanced its national strength, providing a new platform for it to play a greater role in the current international system. But China＇s identity as a developing country remains the starting point of its foreign strategy, and hence promoting and consolidating its relationship with other developing countries will also remain as China＇s strategic choice.     

China-Europe Cooperation for the Development of Africa：Concepts and Policies

In recent years, the growth of China＇s economy and the elevation of China-Africa relations have caused complex changes in China＇s relations with the outside world. The rapid development of China-Africa relations is a showcase for the development process of Asia and Africa, through which we can see that both Asia and Africa are revitalizing and a new world is taking shape     

The Changing Asia-Pacific Strategic Picture

Battlefield for Strategic Rivalry
In recent years, the Asia-Pacific strategic configuration has entered a stare of in-depth readiustments. The relative decline of the United States,China＇s rapid rise, Russia＇s fast revival and Japan＇s quickening step toward a ＂normal country＂ have combined to turn regional multi-polarity into a reality. Not surprisingly, the world＇ s strategic structure has begun to focus on the region, with intensifying rivalry among major countries centered on economic competition and aggravating geopolitical game conducive to a security dilemma. As a matter of fact, U.S.-Japanese provocations have been at work in tuming regional hotspot issues into tools for such a game. As a result, escalating security threats to China in the East and South China Seas are converging into potential risks of collision and conflicts with other contenders.     

China＇s Foreign Strategy： Constantly Deepening and Broadening

China has been constantly deepening and broadening foreign strategy in accordance with the changes of the world situation. With the Fourth Plenary Session of the Seventeenth CPC Central Committee, the Eleventh Diplomatic Envoy Conference and the Central Economic Working Conference as opportunities, the CPC Central Committee has made a series of new explanations and judgements on China＇s foreign strategy in the new era. China＇s external work has also entered a new period of great development. China has made substantial progress in countering the international financial crisis, promoting global issues such as climate change, maintaining the steady development of relations with major global powers and solidifying its strategy of reliance on surrounding countries. China＇s international status and influence has scaled new heights.     

International System and China＇s Asia-Pacific Strategy

What impact does a shift in the global distribution of power have on the international order？ According to the views of traditional realists, power transitions in the international order are usually accompanied by major wars, the best example being the two world wars of the twentieth century. China＇s peaceful rise is conducive to the peace and stability of Asia and Pacific regions. The steady rise of China＇s position and its role in dealing with international and regional problems have proved China＇s success in ＂cooperative security＂. This paper analyzes the security order in the Asia-Pacific region1 that China wants to construct to provide important guarantees to its peaceful rise. Firstly, I review and compare key arguments about the transition of international systems and China＇s Asia-Pacific strategy, Secondly, I investigate the dynamics between China＇s peaceful rise and the ＂cooperative security＂ which I think are the collective embodiments of modem transformation and the restructuring of China＇s traditional strategic culture. Thirdly, I examine how to construct a mechanism of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region to guarantee China＇s peaceful rise on both political and economic levels. Economic cooperation and free trade in Asia-Pacific region is an important route to regional economic integrity which will guarantee China＇s role in maintaining the political and economic security in the region.     

Business as Usual

In the years since 9/11, there is no doubt that the emphasis of U.S. global strategy has been on counter-terrorism and the war in Iraq. During this period of time, the U.S. investment in strategic, political and military resources in the Middle East, Iraq, and the war on terror, which are the top priorities on the list of Bush＇s foreign policy, has been far greater than in any other fields. However, there are some in the U.S. who believe that China＇s rise has been much ignored by the U.S., due to the global war on terror （GWOT）, and that America should, in fact, be focusing more on China, not the Middle East. However, as we see it, China has by no means been ignored by the U.S., neither has China＇s rise been the result of U.S. ignorance.     

Conflicting and Complementary Elements in China and U.S.'s Policy towards Africa

Since the launching of the China-Africa Forum in 2000, the Chinese government has comprehensively strengthened its ties with Africa.China＇s trade, investment, and aid in Africa have been expanding. Africa has been placed at the forefront of national strategy. Also in 2000, President Bill Clinton signed the African Growth and Opportunity Act （AGOA）, increasing America＇s attention towards Africa. Since then, both China and the U.S. have been increasing their trade, investment, and aid in Africa. In 2011, the trade volume between China and Africa reached US$166.3 billion while that between the U.S. and Africa was US$113.2 billion. Unfortunately, China and the U.S. have not sought a cooperative pattern of action in Africa based on complementarity, mutual respect and mutual benefit. Instead, they have accused each other of bad conduct.     

Energy Development in South Asia and China- South Asia Energy Cooperation

In South Asia, most countries are heavily dependent on energy imports as a result of poor natural endowment, weak exploration capacity and fast economic development. However, being close neighbor to China, the South Asia serves as the corridor for China＇s energy imports and the transit region for China＇s oil and gas pipelines. It is in China＇s strategic interests to conduct energy cooperation with the South Asian countries.     

Scientific Outlook on Development and China＇s Foreign Policy

More than half a century has passed since the founding of the People＇s Republic of China. There have been successes as well as failures in China＇s policies and practices at home and abroad. The failures are stepping stones for success; lessons drawn from errors lead to truth. Chinese leader Hu Jintao recently spoke about ＂Scientific Outlook on Development, ＂＇ a summary of past history and an important guiding principle for China＇s economic and social development both now and in future. The authors believe that this is a major development in China＇s strategic thinking following Deng Xiaoping＇s ＂Reform and Opening Up＂ and Jiang Zemin＇s ＂Three Representatives＂ and that it should be upheld and applied to foreign policy decision making.     

＂Deindustrialization＂ and Sino-Brazilian Ties

After the global financial crisis broke out in 2008, major industrial economies became concerned about delndustrlahzation . The important roles that the industrial sector plays in creating jobs and ensuring intemational competitiveness began to be recognized again. The U.S. launched its policy of ＂re-industrialization＂ and Brazil published a plan to develop its industrial sector between 2011 and 2014. China＇s industrial sector has rapidly developed. ＂Deindustrialization＂ sparked widespread concern because it is connected with the global distribution of technological capability and the future global economic order. It is noteworthy that the U.S., Brazil and some other major economies partly blamed China for the problems that ＂deindustrialization＂ has caused and this has had an increasing effect on China＇ s relations with these countries. It reflects China＇ s problem as a new manufacturing power. In this article, the author analyzes those political and economic factors associated with ＂deindustrialization＂ and makes some suggestions for the Sino-Brazilian strategic partnership. In this way, the author explores some ideas on establishing a new type of big power relations.     

What Kind of Neighborhood Will China Build？

The new central leadership has highlighted the strategic importance of better relations with neighboring countries and the construction of a solid foundation for China＇s neighborhood strategy so as to create favorable conditions for Chinese development. 1 China is strengthening top-level strategy in foreign relations,     

U.S.-China Relations: A View from Europe

China is playing a crucial role in the Obama administration＇s attempt to build a ＂multi-partner world＂ based on cooperation and shared responsibilities. In light of the profound geo-economic transformations of 2008-2009, the United States has little choice but to strive for partnership, especially with the country that is Washington＇s major creditor. Obama＇s foreign policy approach, however, goes beyond a mere pragmatic adaptation to the new realities and constitutes a unique window of opportunity for the establishment of an unprecedented level of U.S.-China cooperation. From a European perspective, the positive evolution in U.S.-China cooperation has been welcomed as a key contribution to the resolution of the global problems confronting the planet. The European Union has nevertheless reacted with apprehension to the suggestions by American commentators for the creation of a U.S.-China ＂G-2＂. That issue was discussed at the EU-China Summit underlines the seriousness of the proposal and serves, in itself, as a significant indicator of the great transformation of intemational relations characterizing the years 2008-2009.     

Getting China Right： The Chinese World Order and Asia-Pacific Regional Integration

Is a rising China good for the stability and integration of the Asia-Pacific region？ The dominant point of view in the Western world is a resounding no. However, that realist point of view, based on the very different experiences of Europe, is not appropriate in the Asia-Pacific context. Area studies are a useful tool to achieve a better understanding of the Asia-Pacific situation. This paper attempts to prove that a rising China will be good for the stability and integration of the Asia-Pacific region through the lens of historical, economic and security analyses. First, history shows that once China is strong and stable, order of the Asia-Pacific region is preserved. Second, with China＇s economic cooperation with neighboring countries, especially after its entry into the World Trade Organization （WTO）, China＇s economic integration with the Asia-Pacific region has been enhanced. Third, regional security has been assured by a peaceful and strong China. Finally, the paper comes to the conclusion that a stable and strong China is beneficial for the overall stability and integration of the Asia-Pacific region.     

ABSTRACTS

Speech by India＇s Ambassador to China Dr. S. ,Jaishankar at Institute for South Asian Studies, Sichuan University on Dec. 14, 2009
India＇s Strategic Rise and Sino--lndian Relations： Issues, Trends and Approaches
ZhangLi
India＇s strategic rise will exert significant impacts on regional and global strategic pattern in general, China and Sino --Indian relations in particular. A mutual concerned topic is emphasized on the 60th anniversary of Sino--Indian relation： whether India and China can establish and develop strong and healthy partnership through a credible way, coordinate conflicts, pursue common interests and promote regional and global security and development. To achieve this goal, it is neeessary to enhance mutual trust on strategy and expand cooperation, implement the strategic interaction mechanism, improve the predictability of mutual poliey, and deal with main issues such as border dispute and geo-strategy collision.