Henry Jackson Society Events
“China’s Scramble for Africa – A Panel Debate”
“China’s Scramble for Africa – A Panel Debate”
Richard Dowden
Director, The Royal African Society
Dr Christopher Alden
Reader in International Relations, LSE
David Blair
Middle East & Africa Editor, Financial Times
Ma Xin
Counsellor, Embassy of China
6:00pm - 7:30pm, Tuesday 26th October 2010
Committee Room 10, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
To attend please RSVP to: matthew.walker@henryjacksonsociety.org
While China missed out on the original scramble for Africa, it appears to be doing everything it can to make up for lost time. Across the African continent, Chinese private and state-owned enterprises have been building infrastructure, extracting resources and erecting any number of presidential palaces, ministerial mansions and sports stadia on an unprecedented scale. The catalyst has been China’s insatiable appetite for natural resources. An explosion of trade has resulted, increasing tenfold and more over the past decade. No longer do African regimes have to countenance Western demands for democratic practices and good governance; with no strings attached to investment, China is their new best friend. As a result however, China has arguably been providing diplomatic, military and economic support to some of the continent’s worst dictators. What are the implications for Africa, the West, China - and their respective relationships? Western investment in Africa still exceeds that of China, but will this be the case in ten years? Should investment be tied to governance? How will intensified resource competition affect these issues in years to come?
By kind invitation of David Ruffley MP, The Henry Jackson Society is pleased to invite you to a panel debate with: Richard Dowden, Director, The Royal African Society; Dr Christopher Alden, Reader in International Relations, LSE; David Blair, Middle East & Africa Editor, Financial Times; and Ma Xin, Counsellor, Embassy of China, London. The panel will be discussing the extent and realities of China’s new-found role and influence in Africa. They will be offering their insights into the dynamics of the African continent, the impact that Chinese engagement has made and what the future holds for the relationships between China, Africa and the West in this context.