Science drives China’s westward expansion in Africa

For decades, China’s influence in Africa has been concentrated in the eastern part of the continent. In recent years, a clear westward expansion has emerged, drawing attention from the United States and several western European nations.

Many analyses have framed this shift as geopolitically driven – a strategic effort by Beijing to erode Western nations’ traditional interests on the continent, with particular attention paid to political and military cooperation between China and West African countries.

Yet a new study suggests there may be deeper, more fundamental forces shaping this transformation. Advances in geological understanding of the African continent are challenging long-held assumptions about its mineral potential – and reshaping investment and exploration strategies, particularly those of Chinese companies.

A research team led by Chen Xifeng, senior engineer with the Development Research Centre of the China Geological Survey and the China-Arab States Geosciences Cooperation Centre, has for the first time systematically compiled the latest scientific understanding of West and Central Africa’s geology, many produced by China-led surveys in recent years.

Their paper, published on October 9 in the peer-reviewed journal China Mining Magazine, identified the mineral types most strategic to China and forecast key future exploration frontiers.

“Since the 21st century, West and Central Africa have continuously seen important exploration progress, and a number of Chinese enterprises have already achieved significant outcomes in exploration and development cooperation in these regions,” Chen and his colleagues wrote.

South China Morning Post