This is a new SSC Project Publication, written by Zhou Jinyan and He Wenping, specialists in China-Africa cooperation and collaborators at the Brics Policy Center. The article “Chinese Cooperation in Mozambique and Angola: A Focus on Agriculture and Health” seeks to think over China’s agency on South-South Cooperation for development and the shifts that this model represents to the traditional “North-South” cooperation. The focus on agriculture and health seeks to highlight the diversity of China-Africa cooperation and the sustainability on its projects.

The article indicates a growing diversification of the sectors and of the actors involved in China-Africa cooperation, highlighting the centrality of Chinese public and private companies and its relations with the governmental platforms on the cooperation scope. According to the authors, the Chinese cooperation goes further than oil and energy exploitation; therefore, it can’t be seen this way. Accordingly, the article focuses on the cooperation on agriculture and health to reflects on its capacities, limitations and future challenges.

Development issues are a central discussion on the South-South Cooperation scope, where China’s role is increasing, combining assistance, investments and knowledge transfer. Added to that, Chinese cooperation is highly based on infrastructure, assistance based on the demand and the search for mutual gains.

After presenting the historical context of the China-Africa cooperation, analyzing some specific cases on agriculture and health cooperation involving Angola and Mozambique, the article concludes that China-Africa cooperation has been contributing for the poverty reduction, food security and development on human health in both Angola and Mozambique, at the same time it is contributing to Chinese foreign policy. Chinese cooperation is seen, in this way, as a strategic long-term partnership, that provides a sustainable development, combining commerce and investments.