La corsa cinese alle risorse naturali africane

The thirst for energy has become pivotal in China’s foreign policy agenda. Although oil remains the main cause of external projection, other energy sources have become increasingly important for China: in recent years, Beijing’s interest toward Africa’s minerals – cobalt, manganese, iron ore – has grown enormously. In order to acquire resources from the African continent, China has loaned billions of dollars for the construction of infrastructures, giving implementation to the so-defined “Angola mode”. The fact that this formula does not include conditionality has allowed China to achieve a relevant position in the African continent; for the same reason, Africa’s traditional partners fear China’s approach challenges their efforts to improve the continent’s governance.