Rising Sino-Japanese Competition in Africa

Japan is showing increased interest in Africa, most recently with a visit from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his $30 billion pledge. Analysts view such diplomacy as part of long history of rivalry between Japan’s and China – from the legacy of World War II and the subsequent shaping of the United Nations to regional conflicts such as the South China Sea and Taiwan. The rivalry finds new turf in Africa. Strong relations with resource-rich Africa is a pillar of China’s foreign policy, and China’s trade with Africa is worth more than seven times Japan’s trade with the continent. China has criticized Japanese aid and development as being too political in nature, but both countries have established their own implictly quid pro quo structures, argues Yun Sun for the Brookings Institution. Africa does not necessarily welcome “resources diplomacy” and politicization of development, and she emphasizes that “Africa is nobody’s backyard.” – YaleGlobal