Pageantry, photo opportunities, red carpets and high-level delegations. The Forum on China-Africa Co-operation made global headlines last week as China courted the leaders of most African states. Now that the dust has settled, it’s useful to think about what we can learn from it.
The Forum returned a predictable set of pledges and a less predictable set of ambiguities. What did it actually deliver — and what does it mean for Africa’s other partners, including Europe, as they seek to position themselves in an increasingly competitive landscape?