Context:

• The article analyzes the differing approaches adopted by India and China with respect to their African outreach efforts. Africa’s vulnerability:

• The COVID-19 pandemic would be devastating particularly in Africa, where economic and public health conditions are extremely vulnerable.

• Though the African countries have been able to curb the initial spread, they are still woefully ill-equipped to cope with a public health emergency of such magnitude due to shortages of masks, ventilators, and even basic necessities such as soap and water.

• Africa needs medical protective equipment and gear to support its front line public health workers. Africa has been extremely dependent on external aid. India and China have been long-standing partners of Africa and have increased their outreach to Africa during the COVID pandemic. China’s diplomacy: The major steps taken by China to help the African countries include the following:

• China despatched medical protective equipment, testing kits, ventilators, and medical masks to several African countries.

• China’s billionaire philanthropists have donated anticoronavirus supplies to many African countries.

• Chinese embassies across Africa have been coordinating both public and private donations to local stakeholders. Objective:

• Beijing’s ‘donation diplomacy’ in Africa aims to achieve three immediate objectives: shift the focus away from discussions on the origins of the virus in Wuhan, build goodwill overseas, and establish an image makeover.

* Such donations will help raise China’s profile as a leading provider of humanitarian assistance and “public goods” in the global public health sector.

• The aid diplomacy will help further strengthen China’s relationship with the African countries.

* China relies heavily on diplomatic support and cooperation from African countries on key issues in multilateral fora. China has used African support for securing votes for its candidates in multilateral forums like the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Challenges

• The sub-optimal quality of China’s medical supplies and its deputing of medical experts have been frequently questioned from the aid receiving countries.

 • China has also faced widespread backlash over the ill-treatment of African nationals in Guangzhou city which grew into a full-blown political crisis for China. India’s diplomacy: Increased focus on Africa:

• India’s developmental outreach to Africa has seen a marked increase with Africa occupying a central place in Indian government’s foreign and economic policy in the recent years.

• India’s plans to open 18 new embassies mark increased diplomatic outreach towards Africa. These efforts have been supplemented by an improved record of Indian project implementation in Africa. COVID crisis:

• The major aspects of India’s health diplomacy include the following:

* Given India’s reputation as a supplier of lowcost, generic medicines, India is sending consignments of essential medicines, including hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and paracetamol, to 25 African countries in addition to doctors and paramedics at a total cost of around Rs. 600 million ($7.9 million) on a commercial and grant basis.

* The e-ITEC COVID-19 management strategies training webinars exclusively aimed at training health-care professionals from Africa and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations help in sharing of best practices by Indian health experts. Nigeria, Kenya, Mauritius and Namibia have been beneficiaries.

* A few African countries such as Mauritius are pushing for health-care partnerships in traditional medicines and Ayurveda for boosting immunity. The Indian community, especially in East African countries, has also been playing a crucial role in helping spread awareness.

• India and its citizens have been involved in relief operations:

* The African Indian Ocean island nations of Mauritius, the Seychelles, Comoros and Madagascar have received relief material under India’s ‘Mission Sagar’.

* Prominent Indian businessmen and companies in Nigeria and Kenya have donated money to the respective national emergency response funds.

* Country-specific chapters of gurdwaras and temples have been involved in setting up community kitchens and organizing relief operations. Comparative analysis:

• India and China, through their respective health and donation diplomacy, are vying to carve a space and position for themselves as reliable partners of Africa in its time of need.

• Though the objectives remain the same, there are significant differences in the approaches. • Chinese diplomacy’s major aspects:

* Monetary aid * Relies on increasing its political influence in the continent

* Focus on hard-infrastructure projects and resource extraction

* Focuses on elite level wealth creation

* Emphasis on strong state-to-state relations as opposed to people-to-people ties

India’s approach:

* Focused on building local capacities and an equal partnership with Africans

* There is an emphasis on people to people ties in many of the developmental and aid projects being undertaken by India Conclusion:

• Though China’s donation diplomacy towards Africa during COVID-19 has received mixed reactions, China still has an upper hand in Africa given its economic heft and political influence in Africa as compared to India.

* China is Africa’s largest trading partner.

• For India, the pandemic presents an opportunity to demonstrate its willingness and capacity to shoulder more responsibility in global affairs. The fact that even with limited resources, India can fight the virus at home while reaching out to developing countries in need is testament to India’s status as a responsible and reliable global stakeholder.

• The two distinct models of India and China will come under greater scrutiny and would require both India and China to adapt to the rising aspirations of the African continent