Abstract
The thriving relationship between China and Africa today is a product of the interaction that started several centuries ago. One version has it that China’s relationship with Africa dates back to the fifteenth century when Chinese traders visited East Africa. Another version has it that the cooperation of the parties can be traced to the sixteenth century following series of trans-continental voyages involving Chinese navigators and some African scholars. The relationship subsequently blossomed into socio-political cooperation and later cultural exchanges. However, it was not until the mid-twentieth century after the Chinese revolution that the framework of cooperation deepened to include the promotion of mutual
economic growth and development.