Tit for Tat: The Influence of Resource Dependence on China's Foreign Relations

Existing literature argues that China cultivates relations with resource-rich nations in order to access and procure energy exports. However, this neomercantilist hypothesis inaccurately defines China’s relations as a limited quid pro quo exchange. This thesis expands upon neomercantilist arguments by examining the extent to which energy needs influences China’s foreign relations with resource exporters. Energy relations are examined through quantitative and qualitative methods. A regression analysis is performed to test the strength of China’s oil and gas as an explanatory variable of indicators of political cooperation. Additionally, this thesis examines the evolution of China’s relations with three resource-rich countries of varying oil export levels: Angola, Republic of Congo, and Gabon.

This study finds that neomercantilism is a necessary but insufficient framework for understanding the role of China’s energy dependence. In the regression analysis, energy dependence is a statistically significant predictor of how frequently China aligns with another country in UN voting but not of other indicators of political cooperation, suggesting that resource relations are linked with a limited form of political cooperation. In the case studies, while energy interests may have catalyzed China’s further engagement with resource rich nations, relations quickly evolved beyond resource interests as both African nations and China sought to redefine developmental assistance under the framework of South-South cooperation. Overall, these results suggest the necessity of understanding China’s energy security within the context of its efforts to increase its soft power with resource-rich nations.