China's relations with Africa within the framework of the soft power strategy

The economic development of the People's Republic of China in the last forty years has been recorded as an unprecedented example of development. In fact, China, which meant nothing to the world economy fifty years ago, is now preparing itself to become the number one economy in the world. Looking for ways to further increase its power as a global power, China has intensified its search for raw materials and markets in the African continent. Although he went to every country in the continent, he was especially interested in sub-Saharan African countries due to their rich resources and strategic ports. African countries, which could not use their wealth due to the colonial activities of the Western countries for centuries, have improved their relations with China in the last two decades and have made significant progress in the fields of economic development, infrastructure and health. However, China's activities across the continent were perceived as ''colonial'' activities in some local sources and in the international community. For this reason, China is trying to win minds and hearts by actively using the tools of ''Soft Power'' both in the continent and internationally. This study focuses on China's soft power practices in Sub-Saharan Africa and its efforts to become an alternative development model. Keywords: China, Sub-Saharan Africa, Power, Soft Power, Neo-Colonialism