The ‘Hunan Model’: A new approach in China focused on economic development hurdles in Africa

In 2019, with China’s ‘Angola Model’ recognised as unsustainable and the prior-year onset of the US–China trade war, China launched the China–Africa Economic and Trade Expo. This took place in Hunan Province, which now also hosts the China–Africa Economic and Trade Deep Cooperation Pilot Zone. These twin signature Africa policies newly position Hunan Province as something of a project implementation unit for China–Africa development, this article argues. This article posits that Hunan being home to industries well-positioned to invest in Africa's next phase of industrial development – namely agribusiness, construction, heavy industry and transportation industries – positions China to invest in contemporary intra-African trade and development agendas. Further, Hunan Province was fundamental to China’s progress in alleviating hunger and poverty in China, the research shows. Could this offer a new era of China–Africa-focused globalisation and development out of Beijing? Policy and research suggestions are offered accordingly.