SinoโAfrican relations , also referred to as AfricaโChina relations or AfroโChinese relations , are the historical, political, economic, military, social, and cultural connections between China and the African continent. Little is known about ancient relations between China and Africa, though there is some evidence of early trade connections. Highlights of medieval contacts include the 14th-century journey of Moroccan scholar Ibn Battuta , [ 1 ] the 14th-century visit of Somali scholar and explorer Sa'id of Mogadishu and the 15th-century Ming dynasty voyages of Chinese admiral Zheng He.
At the turn of the 21st century, the modern state of the People's Republic of China PRC built increasingly strong economic ties with Africa. In , it was estimated that one million Chinese citizens were residing in Africa. In , China received the support from 26 African nations in the UN to take over the seat from Taiwan.
There have increasingly been closer political, security and economic ties between China and African nations. The China Africa Research Initiative estimated that there were over 88, Chinese workers in Africa in , down from a high of , in China and Africa have a history of trade relations, sometimes through third parties, dating back as far as BC and AD.
He identified two Chinese peoples: the Seres or silk people and the Sinai of the southern trade, whose name probably derives from the Qin dynasty. The first mention of Africa in Chinese sources was in the Yu-yang-tsa-tsu by Tuan Ch'eng-shih died , a compendium of general knowledge where he wrote about the land of Po-pa-li Berbera. In , an embassy arrived in China from an unidentified East African kingdom. Since it was a formal tribute mission in the eyes of the Chinese , it is described in the official History of the Song Dynasty.
The name of the kingdom was Ts'eng t'an and it was said to lie inland and mint its coin. This name is probably derived from the Persian Zangistan , and the title of its ruler, a-mei-lo a-mei-lan is probably derived from the Persian amir-i-amiran emir of emirs. Archaeological excavations at Mogadishu in the Ajuran Empire and Kilwa , Tanzania have recovered many coins from China.
