Preference over outcomes: Explaining US-Sino oil diplomacy in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The start of the twenty first century signaled a new beginning for the United States and China in their quest for
oil diplomacy with African oil producing countries. One of the characteristics of this venture is the difference in
approach both countries follow to attain this natural resource. This research work, therefore, examines the
diplomatic measures of the US and China in their negotiations with oil producing countries in Sub-Saharan
Africa, hereafter referred to as (SSA). In particular, the results they expect or the preferences over outcomes are
analyzed. It is not the intention of the study to present a comparative analysis of US and Chinese import figures
or to look at their reciprocal relationship. The question is what strategic choices do the US and China make in
their interaction with oil producing countries and in what way does such interaction shape oil diplomacy? An
important finding is that the US and China develop different strategic paths and policy frameworks which
strengthen the assumption that the two countries compete for SSA oil. Along these lines, the study investigates
the oil diplomacy of the US and China in SSA using the strategic-choice approach as an analytical framework.