Author: Peter Bosshard.

Along with its economic presence, China has rapidly expanded its environmental footprint in Africa. An important objective of China’s Africa strategy is to extract natural resources which have so far not been accessible. Such resources are often located in fragile ecosystems and countries with weak governance systems. As a long-term partner in Africa’s development, China has an interest in addressing the environmental impacts of its projects. The Chinese government has issued guidelines on the impacts of overseas investments, but will need to strengthen them further.