Author: George T. Yu.

Since the opening of Sino-American relations in the 1970s and the reopening of Sino-Soviet relations in the 1980s, China's for- eign policy toward Africa has been far less pronounced, at least compared to the levels of Chinese interest and activities in Africa in the 1960s and early 1970s. China's preoccupation in the 1980s with internal economic development, "the four modernizations," and political change have also been the focus of much attention. Have the concerns with economic and political developments and relations with the superpowers so consumed China that it has neglected foreign relations on other fronts, including Af- rica? The purpose of this article is to consider China's African policy since the 1960s, with a focus on political and foreign aid policies and behavior. Specifically, we will examine the following questions: What has been the role of the African theater in Chinese foreign policy? What major policy changes, if any, have taken place in China's African policy? Has China sought to maintain a significant level of interaction with Africa in the 1980s? If so, how and with what success? Is there an Africa in future Chinese foreign policy considerations? And, what does China's African policy tell us about Chinese foreign policy generally?