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In cooperation with Prof. Dr. Daniel Van den Bulcke and Prof. Dr. Stefaan Marysse, UCSIA organized this conference and public lecture on 21st and 22nd April.
The increased influence of China in Africa is clear: 55 billion US $ of investments, 100 billion $ of bilateral trade, 2 billion $ of development aid, 1000 corporations. On a geopolitical level, China increasingly vies with the USA: in 2040, the Chinese economy is forecasted to treble the American economy. To many Africans, China is a new ally that enables them to avoid the Western paternalistic stranglehold. However, the unbalanced economic deals that China strikes with Africa do not match its proclaimed principle of equal partnership. In order to protect its citizens and economic infrastructure, China will be forced to become involved in internal African matters and take up responsibility. China should also take into account the role of civic society in weak African states.
CONTRIBUTORS: Raf Custers (International Peace Information Service, Antwerp), Jonathan Holslag (Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies), Bert Jacobs (Instituut voor Ontwikkelingsbeleid en - beheer/University of Antwerp), Christian Leysen (Ahlers), Stefaan Marysse (IOB/University of Antwerp), Kelbesa Megersa (Jimma University, Ethiopia), Ong’ayo Antony Otieno (European Centre For Policy Development Management), Daniel Van Den Bulcke (Euro-China Centre, UAMS), Meine Pieter van Dijk, Sara Van Hoeymissen (Dpt. of Sinology, K.U.Leuven), Zhang Xinghui (China Youth Daily), Haiyan Zhang (Euro-China Centre, UAMS).
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