Since the Sino-African Forum which saw Egypt as the host country: announced 10 billion of loans and reduction of duties
Ten billion dollars in loans. So China doubled its commitment in Africa. This was announced at the Sino-African summit, which concludes today in Sharm el-Sheikh was the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. The giant yellow
has presented the fourth edition of focaccia (Forum on China-Africa cooperation) with an eight-point plan, which includes financial assistance to Africa which is double than the last edition of the Forum in 2006: $ 10 billion in loans, of which 5 are to encourage Chinese companies to invest in Africa.
The package offered to African governments, along with cooperation efforts such classics as the cancellation of foreign debt, there is the reduction of trade tariffs on goods from poorer countries, programs for clean energy, education and cultural exchanges.
"China's support to African development is real and solid and in the future, no matter what turmoil will affect the world, our friendship for the people of Africa will not change," said Jiabao at the summit in Egypt.
Meanwhile, to ring alarm bells in Europe and the United States is the huge volume of trade exchange between China and Africa reached: 106 billion dollars in 2008.
"The real assault on Africa by China occurred in the mid-90s, although the start of economic penetration in the continent goes back to the sixties," says the historian Africanist Angelo Del Boca. In little more than a decade in Africa are setting themselves up 800 Chinese companies that manage over 900 projects mainly in the resources sector and infrastructure.
The first edition of the FOCAC was held in Beijing in 2000 in an international environment of relative indifference. Moreover at the time the volume of trade between the Asian giant and Africa is just over 10 billion dollars. In 2003 Ethiopia
touches host the summit and again following the West distracted the event.
Meanwhile, from 2002 to 2005, total trade between Africa tripled 12.39000000000-39.8000000000 dollars. In 2006 reached 55 billion.
The rest of the world seems to realize how Africa has become the "yellow" suddenly, in November 2006 when the FOCAC Beijing to meet heads of state and government of 48 African countries out of 53 of the African continent. From the Chinese capital's premier Zen Jiabao announced an impressive package of aid and investment, and states a goal: to bring the trade volume of trade with Africa to $ 100 billion by 2010. At the beginning 2008, Beijing announced that the goal has been reached, with two years early.
According to a recent report by French researcher Valérie Niquet, China has trade delegations in 49 African countries and France has a population of only 11. The United States, for their part, are involved in a head to head is always harder for the supply of African oil.
's hunger for raw materials and the desire to find outlets for their products are the springs more obvious interest of China to Africa. To prove the imports are of last year: those related to oil and raw materials were $ 56 billion, 54% more compared to 2007.
But recently, China is diversifying its relations with Africa. In 2009, Chinese President Hu Jintao has opened the new year with a visit to Senegal, Mali, Tanzania and Mauritius, countries are not particularly rich in raw materials. Simultaneously, the Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi visited Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa and Malawi. In Tanzania, one of the last sign agreements made in China is acquiring 50% of the airline to the state. "One of the things that China is now taking care of business is that of the main issues," says the director of the Africa ISPI Gianpaolo Casts Novati. "In the east and west Tanzania and Senegal can be seen in this key. Do not forget that the port of Shanghai is the world's most important to the transport of goods. It is China's interest to establish a network with commercial landings on the African continent, and this is a point on which France is very intervening in its relations with Africa, trying to salvage his relationship with former colonies as many positions policy of France had already been captured by the United States. "
China remains on trial at the international level for its support to the governments of Sudan and Zimbabwe, responsible for serious violations of human rights. In Sharm there are the presidents of both countries: Omar Al Bashir and Robert Mugabe. Although most observers careful not escape, next to the diversification of business interests, a change of policy. "China has shown in recent times to have a less one-way relationship with the Sudanese government and by the way recently in Nairobi also has established relationships with the government of South Sudan 'Casts Novati notes. "After repeatedly threatened a veto, in the end, Beijing has approved the UN resolution which provided for a peacekeeping force in Darfur. Among other things, China is one of the few countries that has maintained financial commitment to strengthen this body of peacekeeping, while many Western countries that have talked a lot when it came to voting on the resolution in opposition to the President Omar al Bashir of Sudan, have not yet done. "
