Friend, Partner, Saviour or Master? China's Aid and Poverty Reduction in Africa

In recent years, China has become much more assertive in international development, trade, environment and foreign aid policies. The country represents a counterweight to the policies and development aid models that have for long been promoted directly or indirectly in poor countries by the Global North. Yet poverty still persists in China, despite its rapid economic growth, and foreign aid remains a sensitive topic within the country and for Chinese foreign policy in general. The aim of this study is to better understand the potential impact of Chinese development assistance on poverty reduction in three countries -- Malawi, Zambia and South Africa. It focuses on an examination of the top-down and bottom-up processes by which China's foreign aid policies are first negotiated with African governments and thereafter formulated, articulated, legislated and delegated in China and in Africa. How is the Chinese aid model perceived by African stakeholders and what aspects of China's aid policy can be considered particularly useful or different in relation to poverty reduction when compared with the OECD (or specifically Nordic) model of development assistance? While the topic "China in Africa" has attracted considerable academic interest in recent years, ther e is a lack of research explicitly focused on the impact of Chinese aid on poverty reduction. This study will not only further strengthen research on international development theory and policy within China, but also critically assess the impact of ideas and values emanating from China on policymaking in Africa. A secondary goal of this study is to speculate on what may characterise international development policy post-2015 when the Millennium Development Goals are scheduled to end. What will be the role and impact of an ever-stronger China, not only domestically but also globally?