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China in Angola: A quest for oil and legitimacy

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“Let China sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world,” Napoleon Bonaparte allegedly said. It has been quite a while since Austerlitz and Waterloo, but the former French emperor and military genius seems to have hit the nail right on the head. Long forgotten are Mao’s economic and social experiments, namely, the “great leap forward” and the “cultural revolution” that killed millions and left the country destitute. Since the late 1970s, China has been nudging and turning. And now, it seems, she is wide awake.

China has one of the fastest growing economies. In the last decade, the Chinese economy has been soaring at 10 percent per year in terms of GDP (1). She is the largest importer of oil in the world and the second largest consumer behind the United States. She has overtaken the U.S. in global car production, and her booming manufacturing sector is building everything, everywhere (2). Her military is modernizing. Fast. She already has one aircraft carrier, another under construction, and, allegedly, an additional one is on the planning board. Her cyber-warfare capabilities are some of the best in the world. “Hegemony or militarism is not in the genes of the Chinese,” proclaims President Xi Jinping (3). But China’s actions on the international chessboard sing another tune.

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  • Pat G

    A few years ago I read for the first time about China having such a big hand in Angola. The article talked about roads and building, like hospitals, that had been built in Angola by China but were falling apart because of poor construction and inferior quality. It’s such a shame that Angola, with its wealth of natural resources, especially oil, cannot benefit much from them due to their own warring factions and exploitation from outside countries. It’s a complicated situation, thanks for explaining the history – interesting article!

  • Joni S

    To be honest, I know very little of Angola’s history so this was very educational for me. Very interesting note about China and the South African apartheid government backing of National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). Since China originally wanted to support the MPLA, it is interesting how in the end they got what they wanted. I guess patience is indeed a virtue. Thank you Mr. Atlamazoglou for the history lesson. I hope this means there is a second part coming to this series.

  • Susan B

    Very interesting article. Thank you Mr. Atlamazoglou. It’s nice to get the background history that determines future opportunities for those wishing to exploit them.