Not long ago China’s engagement in Africa was vilified in Europe and the US. Beijing was criticised for co-operating with regimes in Sudan and Zimbabwe. Chinese companies were berated for their poor social and environmental standards in exploiting natural resources.

前段时间，中国在非洲的做法被欧美说得一文不值。它们批评北京方面与苏丹和津巴布韦的政权合作，还谴责中国企业只顾开采自然资源，秉持的社会与环境标准太低。

But European countries are starting to emulate China’s approach, increasing the focus on trade at the possible expense of development; and Beijing is beginning to look west for lessons on improving the development impact and sustainability of its aid.

但欧洲国家正开始效仿中国的手法，加大对经贸往来的注重，同时可能降低对发展的投入；而北京方面也开始向西方取经，学习如何改善其援助的发展影响和可持续性。

To understand the change in China’s approach, it is important to take into account the fast-changing realities of its relations with Africa. For nearly 50 years, co-operation was largely political, built around a shared experience of colonisation. While history is still important to political dialogue, trade and investment have come to dominate relations in the past decade. China’s large and powerful ministry of commerce drives development policy through its department on foreign aid. It seeks to harness the country’s strengths, such as infrastructure development, to those of its resource-rich African partners so that both sides benefit. China overtook the US as Africa’s largest trading partner in 2009. Trade rose from $10bn in 2000 to $210bn last year. Chinese companies are also big investors, particularly in natural resources and infrastructure

若想理解中国姿态的变化，就有必要考虑快速变化的中非关系现实。在一段近50年的时期，中非曾主要在政治层面合作，这种合作建立在双方都曾被殖民的历史经验基础上。过去10年里，尽管历史在政治对话中仍有重要地位，但贸易与投资已逐渐成为中非关系的主要考量。中国商务部的规模和权力都很大，通过下辖的对外援助司推动执行发展政策。该部寻求利用中国的实力（比如基础设施开发）为资源丰富的非洲伙伴国提供援助，达到双方均能受益的目的。2009年，中国超过美国成为非洲最大的贸易伙伴国。中非贸易额从2000年的100亿美元上升至去年的2100亿美元。中国企业也是大手笔的投资者，尤其是在自然资源和基础设施领域。

In recent years, however, China’s flourishing economic links with Africa have been threatened by instability and conflict. Chinese companies are increasingly encountering political and security risks. The country’s diplomacy is adapting, no longer just promoting, economic interests but also protecting its trade and investment. The foreign ministry has, as a result, become more involved in mediating conflicts and assisting with peacekeeping and security. When conflict broke out in South Sudan last December, and hundreds of Chinese oil workers were evacuated, Zhong Jianhua, special envoy to Africa, was quick to support regional efforts to broker a ceasefire.

但近年来，中国与非洲之间蓬勃发展的经贸往来受到不稳定局势和冲突的威胁。中国企业遭遇政治和安全风险的情况越来越多。中国的外交正在调整，不再仅仅促进经济利益，也要保护贸易与投资。其结果是，中国外交部更多地参与冲突调解，并协助维和行动与安全保障。去年12月南苏丹爆发冲突，数百名中国石油工人撤离时，中国政府非洲事务特别代表钟建华迅速做出反应，支持当地各方达成停火协议。

Debate within China, and criticism emanating from Africa, has also led Beijing to re-evaluate its development policies; it wants to avoid such incidents as last year’s deportation of thousands of illegal Chinese miners in Ghana. Beijing is hoping, too, that enhancing the social aspects of its development policies will smooth the rough spots in its economic engagement; for example, it is increasing its support for education and joint research.

中国国内的辩论和非洲发出的批评声音，也促使北京方面重新评估其发展政策；中国政府希望避免去年加纳驱逐数千名非法中国矿工之类的事件重演。中国政府还希望，增强其发展政策的社会层面，将有助于化解经济接触中出现的矛盾；比如，中国政府加大了对教育与联合研究的支持力度。

The convergence of European and Chinese approaches to development is surprising, and worrying, to many in Europe who maintain a critical view of China’s activities in Africa. Likewise, many Chinese experts and officials regard western engagement in Africa with great suspicion. Yet both sides may actually benefit. Europe can learn from China’s economic engagement in Africa in terms of opening up new markets for exports. Meanwhile, some Chinese experts and policy makers are piloting more targeted and sustainable poverty-reduction programmes, working with western and African partners such as Tanzania and Liberia.

对于许多一贯批评中国在非洲行为的欧洲人而言，中欧在发展方式上向对方靠近显得出人意外，也令人担忧。同样，许多中国专家和官员也觉得西方与非洲的交往十分可疑。不过，中欧双方实际上可能都会获益。欧洲可以借鉴中非之间的经济接触，从中发现新的出口市场。另一方面，有些中国专家和政策制定者也开始与西方和坦桑尼亚与利比里亚等非洲伙伴国合作，试行更具针对性和可持续性的扶贫项目。

At the same time, Beijing remains sensitive to concerns that it may join the “western camp”. African governments fear losing their ability to bargain between the two sides. Beijing is also weary of losing its own position as an alternative development partner for Africa through its distinctive brand of south-south co-operation.

另一方面，北京方面仍敏感于外界对其可能加入“西方阵营”的担忧。非洲国家政府害怕失去利用双方角力获利的能力。北京方面也担心在非洲发展事业上失去替代合作伙伴国地位，这种地位是通过中国独特的南南合作品牌打造成的。

It will be an uphill struggle to convince African governments to buy into development co-operation between the west and China. The inherent danger is that trade and investment will be pushed forward without proper consideration for development goals – at the cost of ordinary Africans.

要让非洲国家政府接受西方与中国之间的发展合作，将犹如逆水行舟。内在的危险是，贸易与投资将被置于优先地位，而发展目标得不到应有的考量，有损普通非洲人的利益。