1. China in Africa: New Colonists or Facilitators of Development and Growth

China’s presence in Africa is contentious. This introductory chapter explores the conflicting perceptions of China being the new African colonists versus the view that China is a facilitator of development and growth on the continent. China’s investment in Africa now overshadows that of any other country and China has the propensity to alleviate many of the bottlenecks constraining many African nations’ potential. In order to better understand the actual impact that China can have on Africa’s own organic growth potential, the chapter provides the contextual overview of African perceptions towards China; China’s political and economic systems; a review of historical relations between Africa and China; China’s foreign policy towards Africa; the role of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC); and the social–economic–environmental priorities of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.