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Abstract
The paper discusses the relationship between the People's Republic of China and Angola in the 21st century in the broader context of Chinese economic activity in Africa. I discuss the effectiveness of the "Angola Model" of this relationship as a gateway for cooperation with Africa. The main research question is whether the "Angola Model" is an effective way to increase China's involvement in Africa and whether it has been applied to other countries on the continent? I hypothesise that the implementation of this model allows China to intensify economic cooperation with African countries because this model brings mutual benefits to partners. China gains access to energy resources, new markets and investment opportunities, while African states obtain loans, revenues from the sale of raw materials and assistance in infrastructure development. To some extent, the Angola Model also allows China to spread political influence, but the example of Angola shows that it has several limitations. China has implemented elements of economic cooperation characteristic of the Angola Model in many African countries.
Keywords: China; Angola; Angola Model; Africa, economic cooperation; political cooperation.
1. Introduction
During the Cold War, China implemented development projects in Africa, a flagship example of which was the railway line built in 1970-1976 from Tanzania to Zambia. Beijing also offered loans to the countries from the region and provided other forms of support, including medical aid. During this period, China supported several partisan and national liberation movements in Africa, including mainly in Algeria, Angola, DR Congo, Mozambique and Rhodesia / Zimbabwe. Some of those groups hesitated about whose patronage was better to accept, Soviet or Chinese. However, due to limited resources, China was much less visible on the continent than the Soviet Union, except perhaps except Tanzania under Julius Nyerere (Lanteigne 2016: 6).
In the years 1961-2002 Angola was almost constantly plunged in wars. During the Angolan War of Independence in the 1960s, China initially supported only the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA). When the Organization of African Unity (OAU) recognised the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA) and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), Beijing began to direct assistance to them as well. This assistance mainly involved the supply of weapons and supplies....