Africa, China, and the West

China's recent incursion into many African countries is now widely acknowledged. What is still being hotly debated is whether China will play a constructive role or not in the continent. Is China, like the West, going to follow the way of imperialism or not? The debate indicates how Africa is still the object which is acted upon rather than an agent who controls the encounter. It seems that the debate must now emphasize the role that African governments must play in order to control the encounter. For important elements of this debate, see this Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival 2009 series of videos and this long Nordic Africa Institute conference video on a similar subject.