Abstract

With the end of ideological competition of the Cold War and as a result of its becoming a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, China's rapidly growing international trade volume has led to the quick development of relations with African countries to meet the energy and raw material needs of its economy. This study aims to examine China's increasing influence in Sub-Saharan Africa, the reasons for its interest in the region, conflict issues with Western countries, and relations between Western countries and China within the context of Sub-Saharan Africa. The study examines China’s activities in Sub-Saharan Africa within the scope of Power Transition Theory, and thus it is important to provide an understanding global effect of competition between Western countries and China in the region. This qualitative research examines primary data sources such as country leaders and relevant government institutions and secondary data such as books, theses, and articles, and it uses scientific research techniques such as content analysis, discourse analysis, and hermeneutics. The findings of the study show that China has accumulated capital and opened up to the world through Deng Xiaoping’s liberal policies, that it has come to the forefront due to its policies of state support to the private sector and non – interference to the internal affairs of countries, that it has differentiated itself from especially Western countries in its policy implementations in Africa, and that China needs Africa to become a dominant power in the world within the scope of Power Transition Theory.