Research Proposal for a Sample Essay about China in Africa

What is the general issue that you are exploring?

The last decade has seen China emerge as an influential player in Africa, signing trade pacts with African states and investing in other African countries while increasing its aid. While the United States and the European Union remain the leading investment and trade and partners for most African countries, China's entry as a third force threatens to introduce shifts in the relationship with Africa. Between 1998 and 2010, China's exports to Africa have risen from a mere 1% to slightly over 15%, while the European Union’s share fell from 36% to 23% within the same period (Abegunrin and Charity 15). Although China, on most occasions, has insisted on its sincere efforts to help develop African countries with no hidden agenda, it is mostly perceived that China is secretly scheming and mainly interested in Africa's resources, and hence its increasingly growing presence in Africa does not only seek to displace the traditional partners but also threatens local industries in Africa. Some critics argue that China might be planning to enforce modern colonization in Africa, especially after the country has continuously given development loans to mega projects in Africa, which repayment seems exorbitant and unattainable.

Why are you interested in that topic?

The major interest in researching China's increasing presence in Africa is to explore the potential effects of China's aids, investment, and trade partnerships in Africa. For a long time, China has been known to embrace low-cost manufacturing exports, leading to lower manufacturing prices, especially in third markets. Similarly, China and most countries in Africa overlap in turns of local industries such as the clothing and textile industries, and hence limited competition in third markets. The whole entry of china as a trade-partner in Africa is thus bound to result in adjustments in terms of nature and quantity of exports and operating modalities of local industries in Africa. Such adjustments are what the research seeks to unearth.

The United States and the European Union have been the longest trade partners and aid providers for most countries in Africa. The two have been hugely involved in the provision of military support, monetary and investment grants, and humanitarian help in hunger and war-stricken African countries. Therefore, the entry of China as a similar player will result in shifts in previous relationships to either accommodate or embrace China by fully dissociating the EU and US. Such changes in relationships and resultant effects are also the concern of the research.

Primary Actors

The primary focus of the research will be the international partnership and trade policies in Africa. China would not have entered and established itself as a formidable trade partner in Africa without African countries' policies that encourage such relationships. Similarly, the exploitation of African resources is controlled by policies that regulate extraction, processing, and trade. Hence, the research will mostly seek to identify the policies that have continuously supported China's presence in Africa.

To what uses do you intend your research to be put?

The research is intended to serve as empowerment to help African governments rethink their relationships with China and only enter agreements that seek to benefit their states and not threaten to turn the countries into Chinese colonies. The audience for the research, therefore, are the policymakers and experts for governments in Africa.

Research question

What are the effects of the rise of China in Africa?