The article “China’s Growing Role in Africa: Implications for U.S. Policy” provides useful information on how China continues to use its hard- and soft-power strategies to expand its tentacles in the African continent. The article also illuminates the implications of China’s expansion for the United States policy, including what needs to be done to close the broadening gap (Shinn, 2011). From the public administration perspective, it is evident that China’s policies on Africa are more competitive than those of the United States, resulting in a situation whereby the magnitude of China’s engagement with African countries has developed exponentially since the mid-1990s.
The first issue of interest relates to how China structures its engagement with Africa around several general themes that can be interpreted as informing the country’s hard-power strategies toward Africa. These themes include “respect for African countries’ sovereignty and development policies, support for African development, cooperation with Africa in the United Nations and multilateral forums, and learning from each other” (Shinn, 2011, p. 1).
Another theme used by China is to encourage countries in the African continent to acknowledge the “one China” rule by recognizing Beijing. Unlike the United States, China neither calls African leaders to account nor interferes with the political processes that characterize African countries; on the contrary, it calls for respect, collaboration and cooperation in ensuring that Africa achieves its development agenda.
The second issue of interest concerns how China and the United States use the hard- and soft-power strategies to maintain a presence in Africa. Here, Shinn (2011) is clear that both countries strive to maintain or increase access to important raw materials and minerals, develop good relations with African countries, and increase substantially their exports to Africa. However, while China formulates its African policies in such a way that they influence African countries to end Taiwan’s official presence in Africa under the “one China” principle, the United States is more oriented towards having a military over flight and landing in African countries, securing unlimited access to African ports by United States vessels, and countering terrorism, piracy, drug trafficking and money laundering (Shinn, 2011).
In soft-power strategies, the article is clear that China has overtaken the United States in using the soft-power approach (e.g., opening bureaus for Xinhua in more than 20 countries, developing 22 Confucius Institutes in Africa, increasing radio transmission to Africa, training African diplomats and journalists, and offering full scholarships to African students) to grow its presence in Africa.
The third important issue relates to how China and the United States provide foreign direct investment (FDI) to African countries. While the United States relies on investment and aid to engage with African countries, China provides concessionary financing loans that are used to finance infrastructural projects and are often repaid in oil or minerals (Shinn, 2011).
The last important issue illuminated in the article relates to the implications of China’s expanding role in Africa for the policy and interests of the United States. Here, Shinn (2011) is clear that China’s approach of not tying its loans to any conditionality apart from recognizing Beijing and using Chinese firms and materials is diminishing the United States influence in Africa by virtue of the fact that it is now providing African countries with another political and economic alternative.
Indeed, most African countries are no longer taking advice from the United States and some African leaders are implementing bad governance structures due to the mounting perception that they will find support in China. Additionally, some companies from Western countries are increasingly losing business to Chinese companies, and the tenders for the supply of small arms and light weapons (military contracts) are now being won by Chinese companies (Shinn, 2011).
Overall, this paper has relied on the allocated article to demonstrate why Chinese policies toward Africa are now more competitive than those of the United States. America needs to shift its policies to reverse the trend and ensure that it maintains its presence in Africa.
Reference
Shinn, D.H. (2011). China’s growing role in Africa: Implications for U.S. policy. Web.