"China's move into Africa is displacing traditional Anglo-French and U.S. interests on the continent," said Martyn Davies, director of the Centre for Chinese Studies at South Africa's Stellenbosch University. "The United States, and the British, are particularly concerned about increased Chinese movements."
Reminders of China's ties to Africa stand in many African capitals where Chinese-built stadiums echo an era from the 1950s and 1960s when Chairman Mao's engineers forged anti-Imperialist solidarity with Africa's independence leaders.
But the current Sino-African business boom is unprecedented, driven by China's increasing hunger for raw materials to power a market-driven economy growing at over 9 percent per year. In 2004, China's total exports to Africa hit $13.82 billion, up 36 percent over the previous year while imports -- largely raw materials -- surged 81 percent to $15.65 billion, according to Chinese statistics.
Chinese diplomats, while recognizing African concerns over competition that has all but destroyed some low-tech industries such as textiles, say the two are ideal partners. "China now finds herself in a position to offer what African countries need, namely, sophisticated technology appropriate to African conditions at relative low cost," Liang Guixuan, an economic expert at China's embassy in South Africa, said at a recent trade meeting.
While the US and Britain is caught up in nation building in Iraq, China is building ties all over the world. At this point, the US has less to offer Africa. The Bush/Blair Administrations have little to do but wail and gnash their teeth.
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