China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Political Economy of West African States

Abstract

The Chinese plan for global economic leadership and desire to influence the world through its Belt and Road Initiative has been observed to be one of the international opportunities and challenge to African States. The objective of the study is to investigate the effect of Chinese global economic policy on the political economy of West African states as well as the opportunity therein. This study is an attempt to analyse the impact of Belt and Road Initiative introduce by the Chinese authority to establish connectivity with developing countries of the world, in the area of infrastructural development covering telecommunication services, ports, aviation services, skyscrapers, highways, power plants/stations and dams, and railways constructions in an effort to close infrastructure deficits. It is a documentary research to study the deliberate policy of the Chinese Communist Party aiming to influence the International Political Economy of the world, while focusing on the ambition of China to key in larger number of countries in West Africa into its global development plans. China with Africa in mine have succeeded in creating openness for active participation of all countries within the continent through private partners and international organisations. The study find out that, African states in general and West Africa to be specific has demonstrated overdependence on the Chinese loans due to its high level of infrastructure deficit and crisis of development. It is concluded that, Chinese connectivity plan within the realm of this Chinese reordering of global economy perpetuated with the merciless exploitation and pauperization of the African states in general and West Africa in particular. The study assumed that the policy is a win-win economic strategy to improve Chinese foreign investment plan to assists poor nations to develop their national economy and became competitive in the global economy.