China’s Worldview and Representations of Its Engagement with Africa

China’s engagement with Africa has generated discourse that is both positive and negative. In this article, a select number of sources—articles, official speeches, policy documents, among others—are utilized in order to compare and contrast representations of China’s role in Africa. It is argued that discourse on China’s engagement in Africa is a result of : (1) differences in worldview between the West and China; (2) the perceived threat that China poses to the West’s hegemonic status in Africa; (3) China’s lack of commitment to some international regimes; (4) the fact that China may be providing an alternative development model not grounded in liberal democratic values; and (5) the tangible infrastructural projects that China has constructed in Africa