Pliny once wrote `Out of Africa, always something new'.  Growing Chinese involvement in the continent - especially its  rich petro-sector -- raises all sorts of geo-political concerns driven by developments old and new.  The `old' is the robust appetite of rising world powers for political influence and secure access to  overseas  oil. The `new' is the way China is playing its Africa cards. Kind of a soft power - hardball power one-two punch.  What follows next?

In the realpolitik mode of great powers China has just done an interesting oil deal, simultaneously linking the Peoples Republic of China with the continent's two largest powerhouses - Nigeria and South Africa. China's Cnoc will lift the oil in Nigeria, via a consortium that also includes South African Petroleum Co. giving the PRC access to what could be 175,000 barrels a day by 2008.

On the softer, more diplomatic side of things the PRC government recently issued a new white paper setting out its overall views on relations with Africa. The paper includes everything but the kitchen sink, with sections on foreign aid, Third World solidarity and `people-to-people' exchanges, as well as traditional commercial and political interests.  "By this African Policy Paper the Chinese government wishes to present to the world the objectives of China's policy toward Africa, and the measures to achieve them...with a view to promoting the steady growth of China-Africa relations in the long term and bringing the mutually beneficial cooperation to a new stage. "

On the oil side, full steam ahead. China has a voracious appetite for imported natural resources. Its nearly 10%  annual economic growth rate in a population of 1.2 billion means big appetites. Significantly dependent on imported oil, China has targeted Africa as a source to meet their surging needs. About a quarter of their imports already comes from the continent.  The new PRC-South Africa-Nigeria arrangement is a part of this strategy. It is a  $2.27 billion deal that gives state-controlled Cnoc a 45% stake in a large off-shore oil field,  and involves South African Petroleum Company.

The PRC now seems to be vacillating between 2 kinds of natural resource strategies. On the one hand is their old-style Maoist Third Worldism, with lots of rhetorical flourishes about the  unity of developing counties and their freedom to choose their own paths,  free  from externally-imposed  political conditionalities;  then there is the Eastern cowboy capitalism of get-the- resources-at-any-cost, regardless of local political problems. The latter strategy dominates, as Beijing  pursues an outmoded  and ultimately unsustainable strategy of making nice with the dictators in key resource-rich  African countries like Angola,  Sudan and Zimbabwe, while turning a blind eye to local abuses.

On the American side,  there's been a  flurry of activity and pronouncements, including a recent report by the Council on Foreign Relations drawing attention to the PRC's muscular regional oil strategy and urging a robust U.S. response (and provoking multiple postings on the  America Abroad blog); Congressional hearings on China's influence in Africa (see my testimony on the Africa Sub-Committee's web site);  the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Africa traveled to Beijing last month; and  loud Congressional complaints effectively blocked the PRC's  bid to buy American oil giant Unocal.

In light of all these recent developments, the administration once again faces opportunities for muddy thinking and poor policies. The risk is that Washington will respond to domestic hard-line political interests seeking to demonize China and thereby provide a post-Cold War replacement for the Soviet Union, or will  pursue another ready-fire-aim strategy that will forego diplomatic opportunities to influence other world actors. Alternatively, Washington can pursue positive-sum diplomacy with the PRC, the Africans and Europe to advance everybody's interests.

It isn't clear which way China's petro-strategy will go - propping up dictators or promoting development, but it is a critical subject for China-hands and Africa-watchers alike. The answer may depend in part on what the U.S. does. Washington should press Beijing to be a better world citizen in Africa and elsewhere. Administration officials should meet regularly with the Chinese leadership to discuss the benefits of a more enlightened petro-policy, and the costs of clinging to dictators. Getting the Africans involved in this conversation would also be advantageous (especially Abuja and Pretoria), as well as the Europeans, since the French and the British certainly have their own long (and checkered) histories in African oil fields. A more enlightened China resource policy would smooth relations not just with Africa, but also Latin America and other parts of Asia too.

Bottom line - we should urge the Middle Kingdom to move forward into the modern world of  greater transparency and commitment to international development. This won't be easy for Beijing, given its own record at home.  But should Washington decide to pursue this kind of enlightened petro-diplomacy, it needs to keep in mind that only recently and belatedly has the Bush administration accepted `democracy promotion' as a central rhetorical pillar of its own foreign policy. Out of  America, let's see something new - the recognition that international relations can bring us win-win outcomes, and we can achieve them through careful and mutually respectful diplomacy.