China and Africa

This course studies the evolution of Chinese involvement in Africa, from the 1950s to the present day. Themes explored include diplomatic and defence relations, trade and commerce, politics and ideology.
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  • Start Date: 29 Sep 2026
    End Date: 20 Oct 2026
    Tue (Evening): 19:00 - 21:00
    Online
    Location: Online
    Duration: 4 sessions (over 4 weeks)
    Course Code: HPC201
    Tutors:  Maisa Edwards
    Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £90.00
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In stock
SKU
246338
Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £90.00

What is the course about?

This course will evaluate Chinese involvement in the African continent, including its involvement in countries such as South Africa, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola. Themes explored include diplomatic and defence relations, trade and commerce, politics and ideology.

What will we cover?

- Sino-African relations (overview of the continent)
- Energy and raw materials
- Commerce of Legal and Illegal Goods and Fishing
- Politics and ideology
- Trade and manufacturing
- Diplomatic and defence relations.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Understand the establishment and development of major trade routes
- Know the history of Sino-African relations
- Describe the importance of politics and ideology.
- Analyse the impacts of licit and illicit trade.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

Everyone is welcome, although a good level of English is required. As with our classes on history, it is important to have an open mind and be able to support your opinions, arguments and thoughts as well as engage with opinions, arguments and thoughts with which you may not agree.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

You will be taught mainly through lectures, group discussions and the exploration of scenarios and case studies. There will be some preparatory as well as recommended reading for this course.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

There are no additional costs, but please bring a pen and a notebook or laptop or tablet for notetaking.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

HPC202 China and Latin America
HPC204 Latin America and Africa - new friends
HPC205 Weapons, drugs, piracy and commerce: maritime politics in the 21st century
HPC102 Rising powers: China, from Mao to Xi
HPC110 Rising powers: India, from Nehru to Modi

View all our Asian History courses here.

View all our African History courses here.

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Maisa Edwards

Dr. Maísa Edwards holds a Joint International Relations PhD from King’s College London and the University of São Paulo. Her doctoral research focused on Brazil, the Zone of Peace and Cooperation of the South Atlantic and the South Atlantic region. She also has an MSc in Brazil in Global Perspective from King’s College London and a first degree in French and Spanish from University College London. Maísa also has a keen interest in multilingual and multicultural literature and has run the Talk Books With Me (@talk_books_with_me) project since February 2021.

Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.