University of Cape Town Professor Says Africans Need to Understand Why China Values Ties With the Continent

Professor Carlos Lopes from the University of Cape Town is challenging the widely-held perception that Africa is very important to China’s broader global economic agenda. Well, they’re wrong, he said in a recent interview with Zimbabwean newspaper publisher Trevor Ncube.

“China is a major player in Africa but Africa is not of major importance to China,” said Professor Lopes. “The totality of Chinese investments in Africa account for about 4% of the Chinese investments in the world… as much as Pakistan,” he added.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.