China's multilateral approach in Africa.
After more than a decade of China-Africa engagement characterised by bilateral economic ties, Beijing has shifted to pursue a more multilateral approach. China is departing from its long-held policy of non-interference in favour of a more comprehensive engagement with the continent, visible in terms of diplomacy, security and development finance. This strategic shift is not confined to Africa, but representative of Beijing's new interest in international economic integration and its desire to take a leadership role in global institution building.
Experiments with institutionalising regional relations in Africa and Asia may inform the structure of new Chinese partnerships elsewhere.
Attention on formal relations overshadows the more prominent Chinese presence in Africa that is outside Beijing's control.
African states welcome deeper and more comprehensive Chinese cooperation as a way to leverage -- not offset -- Western ties.
