ABSTRACT
Such were the words in the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) White Paper on China’s Africa policy which sought to demonstrate China’s benign intentions in the continent. The document, which epitomises the Chinese ‘charm offensive’ in the developing world, emphasises the PRC’s commitment to multilateralism, ‘peaceful co-existence’, ‘mutual benefi t’ and ‘common development’ and seems to be at pains to reassure the rest of the world that Beijing’s increasing involvement in Africa is benefi cial and not going to disrupt the international order. In spite of these soothing words, China’s critics remain unconvinced. Most do recognise that these moves are part of the PRC’s attempts to implement its ‘one China’ policy and thwart Taiwan’s attempts to gain diplomatic recognition as well as valuable Third World votes for avoiding international censure over its poor human rights record. They are also cognisant that these diplomatic manoeuvres are part of Beijing’s attempts to gain access to valuable natural resources, notably oil.
