Uneasy allies: China's evolving relations with Angola

Abstract

By conventional accounts, following the so-called ‘Angola Model’, the Chinese government is heavily involved in the national reconstruction programme through various financial institutions as a means to ensure closer relations with Angola and thus access to oil. China's strategy is thus ostensibly to accumulate political capital through the provision of infrastructure, financed by oil-backed concessional loans extended by Chinese state-owned banks. This study briefly traces the history of China's relations with Angola before examining the various parallel structures involved in the two country's co-operation over infrastructure, loans and oil. It examines the so-called ‘Angola Model’ by looking at three key assumptions surrounding risk, access to oil and China's political access in Angola. The study also evaluates the nature of the so-called ‘strategic partnership’ for both Angola and China. Political posturing indicates that both China and Angola see each other as necessary strategic allies for the foreseeable future, but this may mask an uneasy marriage of convenience.