Скачать или смотреть How do you think Africa can be more unified when negotiating with China?

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation conferences and summits that are held every three years have also been an awkward match between a continent of 54 countries and a single, albeit very large country. While China has been able to speak with a single, unified voice to Africa, the same cannot be said of Africans when they negotiate with China.

Africa is a complicated mix of cultures, economies, politics where each country brings a distinct set of requirements that frustrates all efforts to build a semblance of consensus when negotiating with the Chinese. Beijing, for its part, has been masterful in leveraging Africa's divisions, at times even playing countries off each other for better investment leverage.

While pan-African unity may be dream that can never be full realized, Africa's major regional blocks in the east (EAC), west (Ecowas) and the south (SADC) are becoming more effective.

While it makes sense for these regional blocks to negotiate with China, Zambian journalist Humprey Nkonde says smaller countries could suffer. Nkonde recently attended the Wits China-Africa Reporting Project round table in Johannesburg where he shared his views on why countries like Zambia feel vulnerable whenever their national interests are aligned too closely with larger regional partners such as South Africa.