China increases influence in West Africa

After the UAE, President Xi Jinping will visit Senegal, Rwanda, South Africa and Mauritius. The itinerary of the trip shows China's readiness to increase its political influence and economic presence in all regions of the continent. This was highlighted by Tatiana Deich, an expert at the Institute of African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in an interview with Sputnik.

The Chinese leader's current trip to Africa has one distinctive feature that Tatiana Deutsch notes:

"Except for South Africa, all the countries that Xi Jinping visited are not rich in resources. This visit shows that China-Africa relations are not only about China's interest in African resources. The West has long criticized China, saying that for Beijing, the main countries are Angola, because of its oil, and Nigeria, because there is also oil there. However, as with oil-producing countries, China pays much attention to Senegal, Rwanda and Mauritius, expanding relations with these countries in all areas."

According to recent polls, 65% of Senegalese people view China's influence in the country as positive or very positive. Among the reasons for this assessment are the guaranteed good jobs and job creation in Chinese-invested enterprises.

Despite the greatest distance from other parts of the continent, China can connect this West African region with the "Belt and Road" project, said Jan Mian, an expert at the China Institute of Communications.

"China has always attached great importance to developing friendly relations with African countries. Of course, West Africa is an important part of China's African diplomacy. Compared with other regions of Africa, in recent years, top Chinese leaders have rarely visited West African countries. The reason for this is that frequent riots occur in the region, which is not favorable for the trip. Since last year, the situation in this sense has been improving.

China raises flag over Djibouti base.

China and West African countries have a history of maintaining friendly relations, as well as trade, economic and humanitarian ties. President Xi Jinping's visit to Senegal - the gateway to West Africa - will also contribute to further strengthening China's relations with countries in the region. Through this visit, China can expand its "Belt and Road" project to this African region."

Moreover, Senegal’s proximity to the Atlantic makes it strategically important to China. After all, Beijing currently lacks control over port infrastructure on Africa’s west coast, which would help with its ambitious goal of becoming a major maritime power.