China-Africa cooperation : Joint engagement in adaptation to climate change

China’s economic success since the 1990s has been staggering. With itseconomic growth, the country has experienced new challenges, particularlywith regard to environmental sustainability on the one hand, and increasinginternational demands and responsibilities on the other. Climate change is akey issue for both these challenges. This article explores the rise of environmentalconcerns, particularly climate change, on the domestic policyagenda in China, and the issue of greening China’s growth. Domestic policiesand their challenges are the background against which the article investigates the potential and limitations of international engagement in the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change. International challenges are discussed in the second part of the article, which looks into the negotiations on actions to mitigate and manage climate change, and specifically the support China has received regarding adaptation to climate change within the China–Africa cooperation platform. In the context of this cooperation, renewable energy, among other things, offers the potential for a viable solution for Africa’s energy deficiency, specifically as regards electricity. This cooperation is still in the early stages. Therefore, this article looks at the potentialin the relationship rather than at specific actions.