Chinese leadership’s recent engagements points to their persistent pursuit of its vision of connectivity named One Belt One Road (OBOR). New areas are now being added to the list.

While Chinese demands for raw materials and bulk stocks such as oil and gas has decreased at the country’s economy evolves, Beijing continues to be vested in Africa’s development and trade with the region. That commitment is not only a boost for world peace, stability and development but supports the smooth implementation of America’s African strategy.

While new agreements mean the two countries areas of interest will more often overlap and even clash, there is also new impetus for cooperation, such as in preserving peace and security in Africa, developing the African market and building Washington and Beijing’s respective global leadership roles.

At the Second Ministerial Forum on China-Africa Health Development, China announced plans to construct 100 new hospitals and clinics across Africa. With Africa having one of the world’s most poorly regulated health systems, China hopes to improve the continent’s living conditions through a stronger Chinese presence in Africa’s medical field.

China surprised President Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Sept. 28 by promising to create an 8,000 strong standby peacekeeping brigade for use on the African Continent, which should reinforce its desire to be a responsible global power.

Through dams, grid construction, and renewable energy technologies, China is significantly helping to address sub-Saharan African energy shortages, and help improve livelihoods.

China and the U.S. share common interests but very different approaches in Africa. If the two countries can explore possibilities to realize bilateral security cooperation and work to maintain peace and stability in the continent, they can set the stage for a new type of major-country relations that rises about fierce competition.

Though 34 African countries are signatories to the Rome Statute, the continent now generally sees the ICC as a political organ that has “deviated from its original purpose”, exercising double standards and “only targeting African countries for case investigation and conviction”. The US exempts itself but demands compliance from the rest of the world.

A year-long “temporary” halt to ivory trade outside China is a hopeful, if symbolic, move to end attacks on elephants and rhinoceroses. A coalition of celebrities, politicians, and environmentalists put pressure on Xi Jinping to ban the import of ivory, but current regulations are flouted daily. The movement of ivory must be complete and permanent to fully stop the underground trade.

In 2015, much emphasis has been placed on a partnership between the African Union and China in order to accelerate the construction of the three major networks to help materialize the “century dream” of connecting all capital cities in Africa with high-speed railways. African economic integration calls for not only consensus and impetus from African countries, but also external investment to drive the process.