The diplomatic relation between China and Ivory Coast spans over more than four decades. Both sides have strengthened their relations in recent years as China looks to cement its presence in Africa.
Indicators
Several signs have revealed a revived diplomacy between the two countries, which may be summarised as follows:
1. Growing economic cooperation:
Bilateral trade between Ivory Coast and China has grown to unprecedented levels. Imports from China increased from USD 100 in 2002 to more than USD 1.57 billion in 2020. The two sides have agreed to extend their trade in the coming years, having signed an agreement brokered by the Beijing Chamber of Commerce of Chinese Corporations in Yamoussoukro.
China’s investments in Ivory Coast are estimated at USD 7.5 billion, mostly in infrastructure projects, having won major building contracts. A major Chinese builder recently won a 26 billion African francs (USD 42 million) contract to build the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor. Many Chinese firms have also won bids to build significant infrastructure projects in Ivorian regional areas.
2. Growing military cooperation:
Another key indicator of flourishing China-Ivory relations is in security cooperation. The Ivorian military has signed a new supply contract agreement with China North Industries Corporation, a main supplier of the Chinese army, that will see the Chinese party provide 50 armour vehicles to the Ivorian military. This and other military supplies are intended to support Ivory Coast’s counter-terrorism operations. China-Ivory military trade comes in a wider market and increased demand for Chinese military technology in a region marred with terrorism and armed militias.
3. Increased diplomacy:
Recent years have seen increased diplomatic activities between the two sides. In December 2022, Ivorian President Alassane Dramane Ouattara called President Xi to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation. President Ouattara reiterated his support for ‘One China policy,' while President Xi reaffirmed China’s commitment to trade and cooperation with Ivory Coast in the long term.
Earlier in 2018, President Ouattara visited China in what was considered a landmark in China-Ivory relations. On the heels of Mr. Ouattara’s visit came a meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his counterpart Kandia Camara on the sidelines of the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in November 2021.
Various Ivorian Interests
Recent reports have outlined a number of interests behind growing relations with China, which may be examined as follows:
1. Big build:
Since the Ivorian government announced the reopening of its borders in February 2023, following a 3-year lockdown, the West African nation is seeking to revitalise its economy, having been badly hit by Covid.
Accounting for such circumstances, the Ivorian government wants Chinese corporations to complete projects that had begun before the pandemic. Yamoussoukro also is hoping to attract more Chinese investments to boost its energy and technology sectors.
2. Need for investments:
Chinese investments have become appealing to Ivory Coast in recent years. And while investments flowing from China have slowed down during Covid, the West African government is hoping to revive Chinese finance in the coming year.
Worth noting that China’s loans to Ivory Coast reached USD 3.1 billion in 2020, nearly 5% of the African country’s national GDP. Most Ivory Coast building projects are financed by Chinese lenders and linked to China’s wider strategy in the continent with long-term lending and financing major projects, drawing Beijing closer to Africa.
3. China’s investment in cocoa industry:
President Ouattara has been keen to attract Chinese investors to his nation’s most significant industry and one of the world’s biggest cocoa producers at 2.2 million tons yearly. He aims to diversify the country’s economy away from raw materials by increasing its cocoa production from 40% to 50% in the coming year.
Beijing’s Interests
There seems to be a range of interests that drive China’s relations with Ivory Coast; these are:
1. A strategic gateway to Africa:
The revitalisation of the port of Abidjan and the opening of new shipping piers in March last year, which cost more than USD 900 billion to build, offer China a strategic stepping stone to West Africa. The port project was 85% financed by a major Chinese lender and paved the way for Ivory Coast to become a major shipping hub in the continent. Prior to opening the port, Asia, European, and American shipments would have to stop in South Africa first before forwarding freights in smaller containers to the region.
2. Facing Taiwan’s influence:
China aims to undercut Taiwan’s activity in the region following the reopening of a representative office in the Ivorian capital in November last year after being closed in 2017. As Taiwan seeks to increase its trade relations with Ivory Coast, China would be disconcerted by the revitalised Taiwan-Ivory Coast relations. Hence, Beijing has expanded its activities in the West African country in recent months.
3. Cementing China’s influence:
Aiming to protect its regional interests, China is driving economic and security cooperation with West Africa through Ivory Coast. The region, rich in oil and other natural resources, is a strategic energy source for China, especially as it moves away from its ‘zero-covid’ policy and revives its energy-hungry manufacturing industry. In addition to energy, China is looking to protect its military presence in this strategic region to protect its energy interests.
Possible Repercussions
The strengthening of relations between China, the Ivory Coast, and the wider region may result in several scenarios, which may be outlined as follows:
1. Stronger Chinese presence:
The coming period would witness increasing Chinese activity in the Ivory Coast and the rest of the region. This is reflected in the announcement of a Chinese trade fair set to be held between 3-5 March to commemorate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The exhibition will showcase cooperation in areas of economy and trade and will facilitate new deals between Chinese and Ivorian corporations.
The coming period is expected to see more Chinese investments pumped into new sectors, especially cocoa production, in Ghana and Ivory Coast, two of the biggest cocoa producers that would certainly appeal to more Chinese investors.
2. Chinese expansion:
The coming period could see China increase its activity in the continent. In January, Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang toured Egypt, Ethiopia, Benin, Angola, and Gabon, in what’s become a Chinese yearly diplomatic practice, though Gang’s latest visit is quite remarkable as it came just within a week of his appointment.
Other military and security dimensions pave the way for China to build stronger relations with West Africa. As the region experiences increased terrorism in the Sahel, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Gulf of Guinea, China aims to hit hard on terrorist groups in an aim to protect its strategic interests in the region.
Amid increased Chinese presence in Africa, the US and the West, including France, would move to counter China’s expansion. International competition could intensify as China threatens the West's interests in Africa. Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron landed in Gabon, the first stop of an Africa tour that will also take the French president to Angola, the Congo Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, signaling a move by Western powers to balance China’s presence in the continent.
In summary, Ivory Coast has become a sphere of influence between Beijing and the West in West Africa. A new French strategy in this region is reflected in an increased military presence in the Gulf of Guinea, where 900 French troops are based. Catherine Colonna, the French minister for Europe and foreign affairs, visited Yamoussoukro in December 2022 in a French bid to increase its influence in the country and the region, further driving international competition in Africa.
