| dc.description.abstract | The expansion of Sino-African relations over the last decade is remarkable for its seemingly unique perspective on aid and investment strategies. While it was once tradition for donor countries to link aid with policy conditionalities that prioritized self-promoting geopolitical gains, it seems as though this trend is no more. Instead, China has chosen to alter the status quo of aid strategies by focusing on trade and investment projects in areas such as infrastructure and natural resources, presumably to acquire greater market access and employment outlets. This study will focus on the global shift in aid by analyzing the Chinese Government's Belt Road Initiative (BRI) and its effects, specifically within the context of African economies. BRI aims to expand China's influence by utilizing its financial and capital resources to help develop the economies of African nations without the use of political or economic conditionalities traditionally attached to Western aid. However, a staggering amount of speculation surrounds the initiative specifically concerning the ultimate motives of China's policy and if they are similar to those of Western Donors in regards to their goal of acquiring and retaining global dominance. Alternatively, these motives could also be deciphered through an altruistic lens by citing the initiatives ability to improve global trade relations while also promoting bilateral cooperative economic growth through the acquisition of natural resources. In this study, I explore two speculative paths about China's motivations while also developing an empirical model to test the associations of Chinese aid within two domains of motivation; The first being the traditional path towards global dominance that expands China's economic and political influence, followed by an analysis of need-based aid that is altruistic and self-rewarding. The empirical results are used in a systematic review of Chinese Aid to draw inferences from BRI and discern possible implications for African countries. | |
