Introduction

Africa–China economic cooperation began since the Second World War era (Adewumi et al., 2006). However, it was until early 1990s that the cooperation grew stronger owing to China’s economic enlargement program, i.e. global vision and Africa growth program. Various initiatives have emerged, the latest being “China One Belt Road or Maritime silk Road initiatives”, connecting China via railway and shipping link with major markets in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. What is unique about China’s partnership in connection with African economies is that, it is mainly centered on economic motive with less interference politically. Since economics and politics cannot be separated (mutually exclusive), China at some point meddles in Africa political matters. However, Compared to the USA and EU, the margin of China’s involvement in political matters is considered minimal. Because of that, China has become an acceptable pattern in Africa economy. They have investment portfolios across the length and breadth of the region. Currently, China’s is presence in about 45 countries in Africa, engaging in different types of businesses. Most of these businesses are privately own. There are also significant number of state-owned enterprises (Gu, 2009). Statistically, more than 2,200 Chinese enterprises are operating in Africa, (most of them are private ownership) (UNCTAD, 2014). China is a significant player in global manufacturing sector. It owns its successes (in industrial development) to low wages, active skilled labor force and large domestic market (Pigato and Tang, 2015). The latter was the key to economic (industrial) sustenance because it allowed emerging and small and medium scale industries to grow effectively. Later on, they became strong partakers in the international trade market. China found itself in a favorable condition, an edge in development most developed and emerging economies were not exposed to the beginning of development. The economic space of China became a magnet in attracting various types of investment portfolios. Many manufacturing firms relocated to take advantage of low wage highly skilled labor force to hence profit and expedite growth. Today, China is among countries with the largest market footprint in the globe. As a significant global player, it faces huge gap in natural and human resources demand (to feed existing industries), which are beyond the carrying capacity of the domestic market, hence rest on China–Africa economic cooperation and other foreign partners to supply them (as a way to maintain the pace of growth). Africa as a continent has a huge deposit of natural resources capacity and youthful population. Statistically, it has over one-third of world resources capacity, making it a potential partner for China. Yet, compared to China, African industrialization program and growth are constraint by economic challenges, among them being technical, financial and infrastructural problems. However, these potential gaps or challenges faced by Africa’s economies are, conceivably, China’s greatest strength, hence the highlight of China–Africa economic cooperation. China–Africa economic cooperation is an official platform for establishing a gain again solution to diverse developmental problems facing China and Africa, with too much stringencies. Advantage-wise, Africa use this platform (give its high resource potentials) as a leverage to attract highly efficient technical and financial investment from China, to support infrastructural development and improve the standard of living (reduce poverty).