A Comparative Study Of China's And America's Economic And Trade Strategies Towards Africa Since 1995

This paper deals mainly about the economic and trade strategies of China and the United States since the year 1995, which are respectively the important parts of African strategies of China and America. During the Cold War period, influenced by ideology, China and America both laid importance on Africa, and both developed economic relationship with Africa by way of economic aids. With the end of the Cold War, and especially since 1995, China and America regulated respectively their economic and trade strategies to Africa almost simultaneously. The common characteristic of the new strategies of both countries is to replace economic aid with economic and trade cooperation.The practices of the new strategies affect greatly not only China and America, but also Africa. China and America benefit a lot from the trade with Africa, and from the investment in Africa. The benefits are demonstrated in the high returns of trade and acquirement of Africa natural resources. On the other hand, African countries also benefit much from the new strategies, such as taking in the foreign capitals, making use of the natural resources, improving the infrastructures, and advancing the industrial structures.No matter on theory or practice, the two strategies has something in common, and also has some differences, with the latter being more evident. Both China and the U.S. base their economic and trade strategies to Africa on state interests, and lay eyes on African natural resources as oil. Nevertheless, in its economic and trade cooperation with African countries, China emphasizes equality and mutual benefit, and plays down ideology, and in some degrees has the aim of getting the support of African countries in international community. On the contrary, while doing the same thing, the U.S. brings up openly lots of critical provisions on African politics and economy, and reserves ideology, and even has the strong aim of anti-terrorism and world hegemony.In deeper sense, the differences between the two new strategies of China and America lie in the difference of philosophical idea or thought. The fundamental idea of China's new strategy is internationalism, which values mutual cooperation between nation-states and common prosperity. The fundamental idea of America's new strategy is pragmatism, which cries up selfishness and utility or purpose. As a result, China's new economic and trade policy towards Africa is praise highly by African countries and international community.