African economic interdependence with China, though proportionately smaller than is the case with most other geographical areas, is growing apace. China now accounts for around nine percent of Africa’s oil and gas exports, and comparable amounts of other key mineral exports such as copper, gold, platinum and manganese. At this margin, China appears to be an increasingly substantial engine of growth on the continent, and although the levels are modest for now, they are rising rapidly. This policy brief documents the size and rate of change of this growing economic presence, focusing primarily on trade and finance. The paper also discusses the rate of change and projections of its growth. The factors that lie behind these developments are discussed.
