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AEGIS European Conference on African Studies

11 - 14 July 2007
African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands


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Facilitating Development? The Chinese Involvement in the Sudan

Panel 67. New players, old tricks?: Africa in the 21st century
Paper ID39
Author(s) Ylonen, Aleksi Erik
Paper No paper submitted
AbstractIt has been argued that the extractive nature of relations between external actors and Africa has either impeded or encouraged a type of development not necessarily perceived as Western type modernization. Although China, among other Asian actors, has invested heavily on extractive industries and has dedicated efforts to improve overall infrastructure in Africa, critics argue that Chinese involvement may enable non-transparent, corrupt, and authoritarian regimes to remain in power, and debilitate local economies. In the 1990s, Sudan experienced the extraordinary rise of the Asian economic interest among the first in Africa. Headed by China, the Asian involvement in the Sudanese economy expanded rapidly, reaching overwhelming dimensions by the early years of the 21st century. The collaboration has reached such proportions that China has become Sudan’s number one partner. This paper provides an attempt to examine the Chinese involvement in Sudan in terms of its economic, political, and social impact. It sheds light on China’s role in the Sudanese society despite of the official policy of non-interference, dealing with the political and social implications of the Chinese economic involvement. It is argued in the paper that despite of being a relatively new player in Africa, China has neither been able to offer much new to the prevailing extractive relationship between Africa and external actors, nor, despite of a number of attempts, has it significantly improved its own international image through the involvement in Africa and the Sudan. An example of this is China’s approach to the Darfur crisis.