ABSTRACT
China’s energy diplomacy in Africa is a relatively new phenomenon in world economy and politics. It helps promote economic development in both China and Africa. On the one hand, energy has become a bottleneck for China to continue its rapid economic development. The country’s energy (especially oil and natural gas) consumption has expanded substantially with its economic takeoff. Although China itself is a big energy producer, its domestic production does not meet its demand. As a result, it is more and more dependent on overseas energy supply. About half of China’s oil consumption relies on imports. Thus, energy supply is directly linked to China’s economic development and social stability. Among those regions exporting energy to China, Africa is playing an increasingly important role. On the other hand, China’s worldwide search for energy provides African countries an opportunity to further utilise their energy to support their economic development. Together with its energy diplomacy, China provides lots of aid and assistance to many African countries, apart from bringing them growing energy revenues. China has also been playing the role of an emerging signifi cant energy buyer and investor beside Western countries, giving those energy-rich African states another choice regarding the development of their energy resources and the international energy co-operation. These help boost the economic development of many African countries, and offer them more economic and political interests.
