African leaders will step up their quest for more manufacturing investment from China next week as they converge on Beijing for a summit at which both sides will seek to extricate their relationship from charges of debt and dependency.
The triennial Forum on China Africa Cooperation has in the past been a catalyst for deepening ties, which a decade ago hinged on Beijing’s efforts to secure commodities such as oil and copper in return for infrastructure investment in African nations.
But African governments, partly under pressure from their own citizens, are planning to use this year’s meeting to push for deals that create domestic jobs and transfer skills and technology.