A corruption scandal erupts somewhere in Africa. Within days, several Western donors threaten to cut assistance. Pressure on the partner government is meant to provoke a swift solution of the case as well as broad governance reforms.
China silently continues its alliance with the African government.
This scenario could be ripped from the headlines – and China’s role in it illustrates an approach to international cooperation that has long raised concerns in policy and aid experts around the globe, especially in the United States and Europe.