The Belt and Road Initiative has become widely accepted in Africa. Everywhere that Chinese president Xi Jinping went, he preached a global economy with the BRI as his main policy. This has become his main diplomatic tool as he cut a path through the African continent, with South Africa, Mauritius, Senegal, and Rwanda becoming his key stops.
Africa is an integral part of the Belt and Road Initiative simply because China could reach the West easily by going through Africa. According to ECNS China, Africa can benefit from getting the good things brought by the Belt and Road Initiative. Trade, aid programs, and various investment opportunities are easier gained through the Initiative, which some African nations sorely need.
Chinese president Xi Jinping, speaking at the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in 2015, stated that cooperation is the main intention of China in Africa. He said that there are plans to help in agriculture, refine manufacturing, improve public health, and create meaningful exchanges between people. China's plans for Africa is worth 60 billion dollars, which can go all the way up to 100 billion by 2020.
In a breakdown of investments, Senegal became the first stop for Xi and the Belt and Road Initiative. It was the first country among the African nations to join the Initiative. Loans from China were secured to create a highway, as well as parts of a Dakar peninsula-located industrial park. Xi's next stop, Rwanda, was the recipient of a standard gauge railway as well as various infrastructure. The president also signed a few cooperation agreements between China and Rwanda.
Xi's visit extended all the way to Mauritius, where the country agreed upon certain conditions in the BRI, with alleged investments and signing to come later. Mauritius was reported to have played it diplomatically, as the country has historic ties with India. The Diplomat reports a dispute between Beijing and New Delhi was simply not worth risking.
Africa, like China, is on the cusp of a rise. It had become rapidly industrialized in the past years, and it makes sense for China to aid it on its rise and benefit at the same time. China and Africa's relationship go all the way back to 2009; trade had blossomed between countries during those years, with deals reaching a total of 170 billion US dollars in 2017 alone. Both countries stand to receive valuable trade cargo from each other, with coffee and seafood China's needs, while medical packages are Africa's request.
