Chinese Development Aid and Africa: What, How, and Why

This book investigates China’s evolving development aid within Africa, considering how it compares with and interacts with trends and shifts in the global aid system and aid from traditional Western donor countries. It examines the role of Chinese aid within China’s broader political, economic, and development engagement on the continent.

The book analyses Chinese policy and aid management institutions and their role within Chinese foreign and Africa policies. It considers the main parallels and differences between Western and Chinese aid and examines China’s role in the multilateral aid system, in South-South cooperation and its role of Chinese aid in relation to the African Union and the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation The book also draws on several case studies, to consider how Chinese development assistance is being used in practice, and how it responds and adapts to African responses and global developments.

Bringing together authors from the West, China, and Africa, this book will be an important read for development practitioners and researchers working on global development, China-Africa relations, and African studies.

Elling Tjønneland is a political scientist and senior researcher at the Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI) in Norway. He was the project director for research project on Chinese development aid that led to the publication of this book. He has published extensively on development aid and African development, South and Southern Africa. This includes numerous assignments and advisory services for multilateral and bilateral aid agencies.