China’s Engagement in Africa: Responding to Growing Tensions and Contradictions

The aim of this Policy Brief is to point out some of the growing tensions and contradictions that have emerged in relation to China’s increased engagement in Africa, and that have received attention in local and international media reports. These focus on four specific areas: (a) the quality of infrastructure built by Chinese companies; (b) the choice and definition of priority infrastructure investments; (c) the practices of Chinese companies on the ground; and (d) the institutional complexity of Chinese development cooperation.