Major power rivalry in Africa: a view from China
In recent years, Africa attracts considerable attention. Great states re-evaluate the potential of the continent, which is replete with mineral and energy resources. On top, the vast majority of developing states are located in Africa as well, which demonstrate sustainable growth. In Africa, the interests of foreign states are gradually clashing. China, along with the former colonial powers and the United States, is particularly interested in Africa, playing first fiddle among the new players on the continent. The Yearbook of African Studies in China is devoted to examining new views, new trends, and new results in Chinese-African relations in 2020. Li Xinfeng and An Chunying became the main authors. The book includes several chapters, the first of which is devoted to the position of Chinese President Xi Jinping on African development and Sino-African relations. The work was published on the basis of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, as well as the China-African Institute, which was established in 2019 by the initiative of the President of the PRC, and was aimed at strengthening humanitarian cooperation between China and African countries. Attention of the authors of the yearbook is particularly focused on the politics of foreign states on the continent, namely the United States, Japan and Russia. Although it is fair to argue with some of the conclusions of the authors, the book is distinguished by a sober and realistic analysis of the processes taking place on the continent on the one hand, and on the other hand, the position of China and the Chinese scientific community not only towards the African vector of the PRC, but also the views of scientists on the growing presence of foreign states in Africa. A common thread in the work is the idea of the importance of promoting the One Belt, One Road initiative not only for strengthening the position of the PRC in Africa, but also for the successful implementation of Agenda 2063.