This was a key opportunity for China, which it seized without hesitation. While the Angolan government was constantly reminded about outstanding debts by the EU community with occasional threats to downgrade its credit ratings and seize its overseas assets, China came up with an open hand and offered the funds on exceptionally flexible terms. In return, they wanted to provide construction, procurement, engineering and management services develop Angola's civil infrastructure, energy-generation facilities and housing. The opportunity was there, and China took it. 

Yet for China, the Angolan experience is still very novel. While China has only recently adopted a coordinated approach to Angola, Portugal had a co-ordinated agenda right from the start, realising very well that any sustainable investment in the country will require close synergies between the public and private sectors. The contest between Portugal and China on Angolan soil is only beginning. It remains to be seen how things will turn out in the next few years, but China certainly has a much better Angola strategy now than it had when it first entered the country, with all the necessary resources in place to support implementation. 

Portugal, however, has a unique set of competitive advantages that China lacks. Sharing a common language and history with Angola, it is generally perceived by the former colony as a more natural and more favourable partner. In addition, Portugal has made some good progress in the SADC region, undertaking similar initiatives in its other former colony Mozambique and achieving strategic partnerships on various levels with South Africa – the giant of the region with its own substantial interests in Angola. Finally, Portugal is favourably positioned to partner with two other important nations with significant presence in Angola, namely the USA – with whom Portugal has been enjoying good relations, and its former South American colony Brazil – with whom it shares a language and many significant ties. Whether it will be able to successfully develop such partnerships remains to be seen, but if it does it will give China a good run for its money.