US-China resource competition in Africa: Colonial legacies, neocolonial extraction, and African agency
Original framing: “As US pursues mine deals, Xi warns African resources are not tools for ‘rivalry’” — South China Morning Post
Xi's pronouncement that 'Africa's resources belong to Africa' is a potent echo of post-colonial rhetoric, yet it is delivered by a leader whose nation is a major extractor. This presents a paradox: is this genuine solidarity, or a sophisticated manoeuvre to position China as a benevolent partner against perceived Western 'rivalry,' while continuing its own resource acquisition? The 'historical injustice' he cites is one that China, too, has benefited from and perpetuated.
The US-China competition for African minerals is not merely a geopolitical spat but a contemporary manifestation of historical patterns of external resource appropriation.
Both powers seek to secure critical minerals, framing their involvement through lenses of strategic necessity or partnership, yet often overlooking the imperative for African nations to assert genuine sovereignty. This requires moving beyond a zero-sum game to foster African-led development, ensuring that resource wealth translates into sustainable industrialization and equitable benefit for local populations, rather than perpetuating cycles of dependency and environmental degradation.