China-Africa News

Africa: China cashes in

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 21:42:00 +0800

Africa: China cashes in: BEIJING (AFP) - China’s government may have high-profile political and strategic reasons for seeking closer ties with Africa, but its companies are on the continent mostly for the money, analysts say.

The sun sets on Taiwan's relations with Africa.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:14:26 +0800

The sun sets on Taiwan's relations with Africa.:

Last week the great and the good of the the Republic of Gambia mingled with the diplomatic representatives from the Republic of China (Taiwan). The occasion was to mark Taiwan’s 96th Independence anniversary and was celebrated in sumptuous style at the Paradise Suite Hotels in Senegambia.

One could easily imagine similar events in diplomatic circles across Africa, but you would be mistaken. In the battle for diplomatic supremacy between Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Africa, there is one clear winner and it is not Taiwan.

African perspectives on China

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:29:04 +0800

African perspectives on China: Africa sees clear benefits from all forms of Chinese engagement, but African leaders are also increasingly aware that they will only reap full “win-win” rewards through hard-nosed negotiation with China in defense of their national interests—much as China itself did during its own economic transformation.

People's Daily Online - China's oil giant to invest in refinery in Chad

Sun, 07 Oct 2007 08:50:56 +0800

People's Daily Online - China's oil giant to invest in refinery in Chad:

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the country’s largest oil producer, is to invest in a joint venture refinery in Chad.

The CNPC Service and Engineering Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNPC, has signed an agreement with the Chadian government to jointly invest in a refinery company to the north of N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, according to an announcement on the website of CNPC.

China and Africa: A healthy relationship? : ResponsibleChina.com

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:54:19 +0800

China and Africa: A healthy relationship? : ResponsibleChina.com:

The China-Africa connection deepens…

The prevailing narrative? Once upon a time, Africa suffered abuse, exploitation and mismanagement by Western colonialist powers. Enter: China, a developing country with a similar history of imperialist aggression (and subsequent liberation) that promises new hope for a “south-south cooperation” in which Africa can bypass “northern” hegemonic superpowers and forge its way to better infrastructure, good governance and greater riches, all in the name of “mutual benefit” with the PRC. But is this new partnership really sustainable? Or will it crumble as a result of greed, self-interest and bad policy?

The Chinese and Congo take a giant leap of faith - International Herald Tribune

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:48:06 +0800

The Chinese and Congo take a giant leap of faith - International Herald Tribune:

The entire world may not have sat up and taken notice in the last week, and that is probably just fine with China, which has just made a major move into central Africa.

With its agreement to lend $5 billion to Congo, what might have often looked like a grab-bag approach to the African continent by a country with only sporadic involvement there has finally taken on a distinct outline.

FT.com / Asia-Pacific / China - Alarm over China’s Congo deal

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 00:52:30 +0800

FT.com / Asia-Pacific / China - Alarm over China’s Congo deal:

Mining companies, the International Monetary Fund and other donors were scrambling on Wednesday for clarification of a planned deal between China and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The deal would tie up mineral resources in exchange for $5bn (€3.6bn, £2.5bn) in infrastructure projects and loans. A preliminary agreement was signed this week just as an IMF mission landed in Kinshasa to review progress towards the resumption of budget support for Congo.

Wild Parties in Sudan

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:49:55 +0800

Wild Parties in Sudan:

Sudan’s conservative capital has become the hot place to party (behind closed doors, of course), thanks to a sudden inflow of oil wealth. And who’s buying the oil?

The economic boom fueled by the mostly Chinese-drilled oil is attracting Sudanese from overseas back to Khartoum again. All of this would have been hardly unimaginable about fifteen years ago when political oppression and the North-South civil war were at their peaks. But now, the Sudanese diaspora, slowly returning to their homeland is bringing along with it tons of money and a lifestyle foreign to Sudanese culture, hence the increasingly common wild parties.

China to lend Congo $5 billion in latest Africa foray - Reuters

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:40:57 +0800

China to lend Congo $5 billion in latest Africa foray - Reuters: KINSHASA (Reuters) - China plans to lend the Democratic Republic of Congo $5 billion to modernize its decrepit infrastructure and rich but deteriorated mining sector in another huge Chinese investment foray in Africa.

China says criticism of its relations with Sudan 'incorrect' - AFP

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:34:55 +0800

China says criticism of its relations with Sudan 'incorrect' - AFP:

“Relations between the Chinese and Sudanese governments are no more special than our relations with other developing nations,” Ambassador Liu Guijin told a press conference after a visit to the United States and United Nations.

“But the media and some non-government organisations criticise Sino-Sudanese relations and politicise the issue — this is incorrect,” China’s representative on the Darfur issue said.

“We just have more economic cooperation,” he added.

China draws back from role as 'all-weather friend' to Zimbabwe

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:26:28 +0800

China draws back from role as 'all-weather friend' to Zimbabwe: China acknowledged Tuesday that it has slowed investment in Zimbabwe, a longtime African ally teetering on economic collapse, in a sign that it may be heeding Western demands that it quit backing regimes considered despotic.

Amnesty International says China, Russia supplying arms used in Darfur - International Herald Tribune

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 17:01:09 +0800

Amnesty International says China, Russia supplying arms used in Darfur - International Herald Tribune: China and Russia are supplying arms to Sudan that are being used to fuel violence in the strife-torn Darfur region in violation of a U.N. arms embargo, a human rights group said in a report Tuesday.

NPR : China Prepares to Send Peacekeepers to Darfur

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:29:13 +0800

NPR : China Prepares to Send Peacekeepers to Darfur:

The Chinese government organized a reporters’ trip to an army base in central Henan province to see the People’s Liberation Army engineering unit headed to Darfur to join peacekeeping forces there.

Saturday’s reporting trip was clearly an attempt to deflect criticism over China’s close economic ties with the government of Sudan which is held responsible for much of the killing in Darfur. But the trip also highlighted China’s growing participation in U.N. and other peacekeeping efforts.

China had "unique role" in Darfur peace bid: envoy - Yahoo! News

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:06:27 +0800

China had "unique role" in Darfur peace bid: envoy - Yahoo! News: UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - China’s Darfur envoy said on Tuesday Beijing had played a “unique role” in efforts to bring peace to the Sudanese region and defended its policy of economic ties with Sudan without political strings.

Famous Chinese Artists Are on Madagascar's Stage -- china.org.cn

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:20:50 +0800

Famous Chinese Artists Are on Madagascar's Stage -- china.org.cn:

As an expression of gratitude to overseas Chinese community, the special performance was jointly organized by Overseas Chinese Affairs Office under State Council of the People’s Republic of China, China Overseas Exchange Association, the Chinese Embassy and the Chinese Business and Trade Association in Madagascar.

The show, the first in the last 35 years since the establishment of diplomatic relation between China and Madagascar in 1972, was divided into two parts with famous Madagascan artists occupying the first part and the Chinese artists appeared on the second.

China is to withdraw backing for Mugabe - Telegraph

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 20:08:24 +0800

China is to withdraw backing for Mugabe - Telegraph:

Robert Mugabe is to lose vital support from one of his few remaining allies on the world stage, China.

One of the Zimbabwe president’s oldest diplomatic friends, China yesterday told Lord Malloch Brown, the Foreign Office minister, that it was dropping all assistance except humanitarian aid.

China to search for oil in Sudan

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 08:52:21 +0800

China to search for oil in Sudan: China’s biggest oil company CNPC has reached a deal with Sudan to search for oil and gas in the north of the country on the coast of the Red Sea.

Arab League hails China's role on Darfur issue

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:39:48 +0800

Arab League hails China's role on Darfur issue:

The Cairo-based Arab League (AL) on Thursday hailed the Chinese government’s efforts to maintain the world’s peace and stability, especially its role over the issue of the western Sudanese region of Darfur.

Yeah, uh, People’s Daliy: “The least trusted name in news.”

The Chinese footprint growing across Africa - Howard W. French: IHT

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:33:08 +0800

The Chinese footprint growing across Africa - Howard W. French: IHT:

Chinese people today look at Africa and see opportunity, promise and a fertile field upon which their energies, mercantile and otherwise, can be given full play. Too often, the West looks at Africa and sees a problematic pupil, a sickly patient, and a zone of pestilence, where failure looms in the air like a curse.

To be sure, China will not forever be the fresh-faced and idealized suitor that many in Africa take it to be today. This is clearly a special, honeymoon-like moment. But the very appeal of China owes a great deal to disillusionment in Africa with the West, whose preachiness and shifting prescriptions, whose unreliability and penchant in the face of frustration for damning cultural explanations for Africa’s failures, free of critical self-examination, have left many Africans exasperated.

Giant dam projects aim to transform African power supplies - IHT

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:06:06 +0800

Giant dam projects aim to transform African power supplies - IHT:

The DRC could build the world’s largest hydroelectric dam on the Congo River, producing enough power for 500 million people on the continent. And look who’s building elsewhere:

Armed with a wealth of experience in constructing large hydro dams, Chinese companies are signing on to projects in many African countries, often as elements of infrastructure investment packages in oil-producing countries. For example, China plans to build and finance a $1.5 billion, 2,000-megawatt plant in the Mambila Plateau in Nigeria, in a deal that also includes Chinese imports of the country’s oil and rights to exploit four oil blocks.