Businesses constantly reinvent their strategies to beat the competition. They are always on the lookout for opportunities, and work tirelessly to meet their goal - wealth creation.

China has perfected the art of operating like a business, bolstering its plans by constantly looking for opportunities, and erecting firewalls to deal with imminent threats.

In Africa, China has created millions of employment opportunities. It has set up modern infrastructure projects, developed dormant mineral deposits that have seen earnings more than triple. More importantly, it has injected a new lease of life into Africa's shaky education system by offering scholarships to thousands of students.

As noted by the World Bank in its annual meeting held in Tokyo in early October, Africa's economy is fast expanding. The key inhibitor, however, remains expensive and erratic power supply. Having understood this challenge, China is today investing heavily in Africa's energy sector.

However, it is also true that, in the past, some Asian firms may have engaged in backdoor dealings, precipitating corruption in the continent. This has resulted in China being lambasted for doing "little" to curb growing graft in Africa.

A look at Angola shows that China tied the knot with Africa's second largest oil producer over two decades ago. The development saw Luanda earn close to $20 billion in oil revenues with China accounting for 20 percent of the total. Today, however, Angola has the highest poverty level globally with more than 70 percent of the population living below the poverty line. Some quarters have linked the unending strife in the country to China's policy of non-political interference. But Angola has hit back, threatening to sever ties with its critics, particularly the World Bank and the IMF.

The Angola case points to the debate that has been raging for some time now attaching deteriorating governance structures in Africa to the arrival of China. Human rights proponents have claimed China attaches few or no conditions to its support for the continent, exacerbating already weak governance systems.

However, the organizations, the majority of whom are the beneficiaries of funds from the West, fail to blame Africa's leadership for its non-commitment to improving its internal governance.

Faced with these wild accusations, China is changing its approach. It has come up with what looks like a three-pronged plan aimed at winning Africa's support, and at the same time, strengthening Africa's governance.

First, China has appointed a representative for African affairs, whose core role, among others, is scanning for challenges facing Chinese businesses in Africa, defending its investments and handling sensitive matters like the Sudan conflict. The current holder of the office, Zhong Jianhua, has made it known that China seeks to make Africa stable and enhance its growth.

Second, in a move aimed at making their subsidiaries beat their competition fairly, Chinese firms are now selling parts of their stakes to locals. The move gives local players an opportunity to own parts of Chinese firms. Through this, China seeks to win the backing of the locals.

Third, China is investing heavily in education. It is sponsoring thousands of African students annually to further their studies in China while at the same time putting money into building local institutions. Ultimately, the pool of talent is expected to breed a new crop of leaders with enough skills to shape Africa's governance.

China is also fast spreading its media presence in Africa with the arrival of CCTV and Xinhua. These channels will, no doubt, act as tools for educating the public, as well as demystifying the skewed myths about China. The days of China being blamed for weakening governance are swiftly fading away.

The author is a journalist on African issues based in Nairobi, Kenya. mkapchanga@gmail.com