Chinese economic co-operation with Central Africa and the transfer of knowledge and know-how

Abstract

Some emerging countries have increased their commitment in sustaining the poorest regions of the world, particularly those situated in Africa, on their development path, sometimes raising concerns in the international community for the practices adopted. Among these new donors from the Global South, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS), play the most significant role.Over the past decades, Chinese development co-operation was driven by the ideologies of the Cold War. However, since the 1990s the Chinese approach to development assistance has followed a more flexible strategy, combining pragmatism and the necessity to deal with the needs induced by its spectacular economic growth. In this context, the economic motivations of Chinese aid are to secure and diversify its sources of raw materials, especially oil, and to extend its foreign markets due to the needs of its industry (Dzaka, 2008).