Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues

The first recommendation is to foster more transparent information disclosure between the two countries. Transparency would help the two countries overcome competitive perspectives, which could clear up many misperceptions that hinder progress. Professor David Shambaugh of George Washington University explains that contrary to popular belief, the United States and China are acting in parallel instead of against one another, as they are pursuing their national interests in an autonomous manner and not directly competing [2]. Chinese financing, for example, does not displace traditional Western financing, as China tends to finance infrastructure, while Western countries finance social sectors. Clarifying their spheres of interest would lead to more stable development, whereas direct competition could potentially force African countries to choose between the two powers. Furthermore, transparent dialogue would facilitate knowledge transfer, which could help build new jobs and skills in Africa. As Africa becomes more critical to the global supply chain, U.S. and Chinese assistance would benefit the people by providing them with skills, which would allow them to take part in their own development. Cooperation could also spur innovation. For example, China and the United States could combine resources and jointly funding renewable power projects in the region.

Second, the United States and China should focus on playing to their respective strengths in the region to address certain injustices. While the West often criticizes human rights abuses of workers in Chinese companies, Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo reports that human rights abuses should be attributed to African leaders and governments themselves. China’s general foreign policy of non-interference with sovereign nations is reflected in its investments in Africa, as it follows local regulations but does not make an effort to change them. In contrast, U.S. foreign policy aims to promote democratic values and fundamentally regards these human rights infringements as unacceptable, which is why it sets stringent conditions on loans and aid. China’s relative ambivalence to “conditional” terms makes them more attractive to developing African states; however, the human rights abuses that occur within these investments are not technically a result of Chinese engagement but of fragile African states with weak rule of law. The United States can continue with its more humanitarian aid focus, while China continues with its infrastructure development, but there needs to be coordination between the two. China’s diplomatic presence in the world is still much weaker than that of the United States; thus, it has little ability to impact regional decision-making [3]. By bringing in multilateral institutions and including all relevant stakeholders in African countries and Chinese investors, the United States. could encourage progressive dialogue and strengthen civil society.

The two countries must exhibit cooperative leadership but also to include African nations as well. Thus, the third—and most important—recommendation is for both the United States and China to adopt a more cooperative and inclusive attitude toward one another as well as the rest of the world. This means that African governments, civil societies, businesses, and other relevant stakeholders must be brought into this conversation. To avoid an era of “new colonialism,” Africa, China, and the United States must cooperate and make clear what the implementation of their respective plans mean for the other’s futures. China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative could pave a straighter and more sustainable path if African countries were to have a say in its development. Future plans need to clearly lay out whether OBOR will divert money from the respective country’s own prioritized projects, and how much more debt will be laid upon Africa. Focus needs to be brought to linking African countries together, not just back to Europe or to China, so that in the future Africa can eventually become dependent of those dominant economies. The most difficult part of this will be turning rhetoric into action, which is why negotiations must begin immediately and maintain a multilateral focus.

The world’s economy is projected to evolve, as the Chinese economy hopes to transition from an export-oriented economy to a consumption-based one. With this in mind, it is clearly not the time for the United States to take a backseat on international affairs. As China experiences an economic slowdown, there will be less importation of African goods, and African countries will also witness declines in their GDP growth rates. However, these economic transitions can become mutually beneficial if all countries cooperate and pursue productive policies preemptively. As China begins to experience the decline of its working-age population, Africa will experience an increase and will need to create 20 million jobs per year for the next few decades. Here lies an opportunity for China to transition from its export-oriented economy; it can move some manufacturing out of China and into Africa. But while this happens, there needs to be more transparency and civil sector dialogue, which the United States can play a role in facilitating. Ultimately, it should be noted that China still considers itself a developing country. Its first priority is to ensure its own stability and development; thus, this complex situation needs the cooperation of all stakeholders in order to ensure that the relevant voices are heard and represented.

[1] David Dollar, “China’s Engagement with Africa: From Natural Resources to Human Resources,” John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings, 2016.

[2] David Shambaugh and Dawn Murphy, “U.S.-China Interactions in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Latin America,” in David Shambaugh, Tangled Titans: The United States and China (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2013).

[3] Dollar, "China's Engagement with Africa."

Cynthia Wang is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania pursuing a double major in political science and environmental studies.