My friend Dan Large at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, now co-runs the Sudan Open Archive that aims to raise public awareness about African nations. Dan’s keen interest in the African continent has brought him to China occasionally for conferences on bourgeoning Sino-African cooperation.

Inevitably, China’s increasingly active oil security policies in Africa sparked some debate between Dan and me when we met recently.

My position is simple: While China’s ambition in Africa is undisputed, its engagement policy with tyrants in Sudan and Zimbabwe severely causes a negative impression globally towards this emergent power.