ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the rationale behind China's energy investments in Africa and the mechanism of how these overseas activities could contribute to the country's energy security. We begin with China's energy diplomacy as part of the country's going-out strategy, which underpins Sino-African energy cooperation. This is followed by a discussion as to whether this energy diplomacy is merely a strategy of energy competition. The analysis then extends to the cooperation between the two powers in different energy sectors of Africa. These issues lead to a discussion about China's advantages and concerns in investing in Africa. The chapter concludes by exploring whether China's investment in Africa could encourage global energy governance in the region. More importantly, China's energy strategy projects strong Chinese characteristics, which contradict Western norms. There has been a long debate concerning whether China's energy security is peaceful or militant in the international community.
