ABSTRACT
In this last chapter a number of conclusions concerning China's presence in Africa will be drawn. Not everybody may agree with them. This has to do with the delicate nature of the subject and the normative framework used. It is also due to the lack of data on a number of the deals between the Chinese government and African countries and with a number of contradictions. Our point of departure is that China's new presence in Africa has created new opportunities for African countries (if only because of the higher investments, more trade and aid and higher prices for raw materials) and new challenges (if only to find an adequate African reaction to China's presence), which will be listed below. Our conclusions are listed here and correspond with the ten sections of this chapter:
China has several, sometimes conflicting objectives
At least four different levels of involvement can be distinguished
The roles of the main Chinese actors change over time
The activities of the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) still compare favorably to those of China in Africa
China benefited from globalization but does not allow the same benefit to African countries
The Chinese way of providing development cooperation is not transparent, nor new
The Chinese economic and political model is no real alternative for Africa
China's presence in Africa implies specific opportunities and threats for Africa 9. There is a need for responsible production by Chinese enterprises in Africa 10. There are a number of contradictions in the eyes of a Western researcher
