The UK Department for International Development (DFID) approached the Centre for Chinese Studies, Stellenbosch University, to organise and support the delivery of an innovative three day event in Pretoria, South Africa. The event, held in June 2009, focused on knowledge and capacity building amongst UK officials based in China, Africa and the UK to enable effective engagement and collaboration with China in Africa. The event consisted of a series of panel discussions and interactive sessions providing a comprehensive overview of China’s history, foreign policy, domestic challenges and activities in Africa in the fields of trade, aid and investment. In addition the UK’s experience in engaging with China was described in order to create an accurate picture of current relations between the two countries. The event aimed to address areas for future collaboration and engagement between China and UK, and planning the way forward in the final sessions of the event. The conference report is also available on the DFID website.

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On 1^st June 2007 the Centre for Chinese Studies at Stellenbosch University, together with the Department of Political Sciences, University of South Africa (UNISA) co-hosted the 9^th annual Africa Day conference in Pretoria, South Africa, with focus on China’s increasing role on the African continent. The conference brought together key speakers around thematic topics. A number of the speakers agreed to submit their thoughts and comments on the topic as papers to be collated in an electronic book.

In commemoration of a successful and insightful conference the Centre for Chinese Studies is proud to announce that the e-publication entitled “New Impulses from the South: China’s Engagement of Africa” is now available. We hope this publication will contribute to the growing body of literature on China in Africa.

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