Abstract
In recent decades, China’s foreign policy has exerted a major influence on international politics. The establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the militarisation of the South China Sea and the construction of a military base in Djibouti have all contributed to the country’s rise as a global power. Although relations between China and Africa are far from a new phenomenon, they have deepened in the past two decades. Analyses of China’s rise as a global power would be incomplete without examining its involvement in Africa. China’s role in the promotion and development of the African continent is inextricably linked to its status as an emerging global power.
The rise of China is at the heart of several debates within the discipline of International Relations (IR). These debates revolve around two premises, namely, power expansion (revisionism) versus maintaining the existing order (status quo). Revisionism, in the context of IR, refers to a state’s attempt to change the existing global order, often through the pursuit of power expansion. China seeks to change the international order to its own advantage by pursuing a revisionist foreign policy approach.
The focus of the investigation is to determine the role of norms in advancing China’s security interests in Africa. The argument is that China’s material and strategic interests serve as drivers to establish a normative direction. This refers to the country’s use of soft and hard power, which contributes to the formulation of foreign policy. Normative power is the means that holds the different dimensions of foreign policy together.
Norms and global power expansion are interrelated. Norms influence how states project power and the methods used to enforce power. In International Organisations (IOs), norms can expand or limit states’ power, depending on the behaviour of other states toward shared norms. States with greater influence have the ability to shape norms that benefit their own interests. This applies to China’s normative power expansion in Africa’s political landscape, especially in the transfer of norms in peace and security.
Normative power as an instrument of foreign policy refers to a state’s ability to shape or change the behaviour of other actors in the international political arena. This occurs through the promotion of the country’s own values and norms as standard, accepted behaviour and is in contrast to hard power, which includes the exercise of economic and military force. The focus of normative power is ideational influence. The European Union (EU) is often referred to as a normative power that strives to promote the values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law among all member states.
A set of research questions is provided to analyse the normative dimension of China’s involvement in Africa’s peace and security through the pursuit of global power expansion. In which area is China’s image as a norm-setter on the African continent being developed? Can China be considered a normative power in contemporary international politics? Can China change norms regarding Africa’s peace and security? What is the feeling of leaders in Africa about China’s efforts to change norms? Norm-setting in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is examined as a case study. By focusing on the way China is expanding normative power in Africa, which is a combination of relationships, partnerships and cooperation, certain behavioural patterns are observed. The behavioural patterns position China as a central player in the transformation of international norms.
Constructivism is the closest IR theory that explains normative power expansion. The premise of constructivism is that major areas of international relations, for example the identity of a state, interests and ideas, are constructed through social interaction and shared visions. This theory emphasises the role of ideas, norms and social practices in shaping the international system. Norm-based constructivism proposes that role players follow a logic of appropriateness and act according to values and norms rather than weighing costs and benefits against each other. These values and norms are meaningfully portrayed within a group context. Role players in a group accept norms through processes such as social learning and acceptance.
Socialisation serves as an important instrument for promoting the diffusion and internalisation of collective ideas and norms. It refers to how role players learn the behaviours expected of them. The behaviours can be mechanisms, agreements, resolutions, informal channels such as state-to-state diplomacy or peer pressure from other states. China’s normative power expansion contributes to Africa’s development and the promotion of the continent’s international standing.
China aims to create a new world order characterised by multipolarity, economic interdependence and less reliance on Western organisations. This vision means reforming international norms, especially in areas such as cyberspace, technology and security. As a result, China’s domestic economy and multilateral forums are being promoted internationally. Several initiatives have already been launched to establish a new international order. These include the BRI, the Chinese development model for countries in the Global South and the Global Security Initiative (GSI).
China’s policy towards Africa is shaped by a combination of economic, political and cultural factors. The focus is on cooperation, mutual benefit and respect for sovereignty. Over the past decades, economic development has been placed at the forefront of China’s engagement in Africa. The main themes of China’s policy direction and the establishment of norms in Africa include win-win cooperation, Global South cooperation, the promotion of political communication and the sharing of a new international world order.
The security dimension of China-Africa relations has grown significantly in recent decades. Both regions recognise the importance of stable and secure environments for long-term development. China’s growing engagement in Africa is driven not only by economic interests, but also by strategic security considerations. The security dimensions can be divided into several main areas. Peacekeeping and stability operations form the core of the security dimension.
Central to China’s cooperation in Africa’s security environment is the Security-Development Nexus. This concept enables China to link economic partnerships with the pursuit of stability and security on the continent. The premise is that economic projects such as building infrastructure, energy supply and trade are crucial to reducing the underlying causes of instability and insecurity. Economic stability is positioned as a measure to prevent conflict and is a means to achieve peace. Development reduces the likelihood of violence and political instability.
South-South cooperation is a key element in China’s foreign policy, particularly in its relations with Africa. This grouping represents a power shift from traditional North-South dynamics, where developed countries (the North) control the majority of the world’s resources and decision-making bodies, to more inclusive, collective partnerships among developing countries (the South).
Western criticism of China’s norm-setting in IOs focuses on concerns about global governance, its implications for the existing liberal international order and its potential to reshape international norms and institutions. While some observers view China as a revisionist power challenging the existing order, others argue that China seeks to rebalance, not overthrow, the international system. Criticism of South-South cooperation focuses on concerns about the potential inequalities it could create between China and partners in Africa. Observers argue that China’s South-South cooperation, such as offering economic aid, could lead to conditions that African countries cannot honour.
The primary argument is that Chinese decision-makers have set a successful policy direction in Africa. The direction presents China and Africa as long-term friends who stand united to correct the inequalities of the Western-centred international order. This has been done by introducing a series of historical and political narratives that have incorporated African actors within the Chinese normative framework. A sense of belonging and shared future are the main elements of the incorporation process. The creation of FOCAC has contributed greatly to the idea of a shared community.
In conclusion, this study highlights that China’s approach to Africa is built on three levels. First, there is South-South cooperation which constitutes the primary domain of cooperation. Second, there is cooperation on peace and security which is a representation of the Security-Development Nexus. Third, there is cooperation in other areas which is a representation of the increased securitisation of relations. If not for the successful use of Chinese soft power and the promotion of equal relations, it is difficult to speak of China as a normative power.
Keywords: China in Africa; Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC); normative power; peace and security; Security-Development concept; South-South cooperation