Editor’s Note

The Jamestown Foundation is proud to present this special issue of China Brief that examines China’s emergence on the African continent. Previous articles in China Brief, and indeed recent publications elsewhere, have highlighted increasing Sino-Africa ties as a function of China’s attempt to secure energy supplies and raw materials. This issue analyzes the alternative ways Beijing exerts influence throughout the continent, as well as the implications of China’s increasing presence for stability in key African states. Topics include: Chinese “soft power” in Africa, the nexus between arms and oil, stability in the Horn of Africa, and Beijing’s investment—oil and otherwise—in Sudan.