China and Africa – a perfectly symbiotic relationship

While Africa is rich in resources such as diamonds, gold, uranium, petroleum, livestock, cobalt, maize and strategic minerals, it consists mainly of developing states with limited capacity and infrastructure. According to the Africa-China Business Forum, China can address lack of capacity as it needs natural resources. The self-described leader of the developing world, China has seen its economic growth surpass its available natural resources. This has made it highly dependent on imports to fuel its current rate of production. Not only is China developing at an alarmingly fast rate, it is also constantly looking to locate natural resources and other minerals. Africa, on the other hand, has abundant resources but is in desperate need of development. “China recognises this and is offering to assist Africa’s development by investing in infrastructure projects in exchange for its natural resources – and that will help oil China’s production machine and feed its over one billion people,” said a spokesman for the forum. Natural resources form the basis of the economies of most African countries. Agricultural products and mineral resources are used as food and for commercial purposes – to sell locally or as exports. Africa’s natural resources are abundant. South Africa for example has abundant amounts of maize, wheat, sugar, fruits, livestock, poultry, gold, diamonds, uranium and chromium while the Democratic Republic of Congo is famous for its cassava, maize, coffee, rubber, copper, diamonds, cobalt, gold and zinc for example. China’s interest in Africa, however, is not new. Its involvement goes back to the late 1960s and early 1970s where it provided developmental aid to African socialist regimes, and supported anti-colonial insurgencies. Africa is well aware that China’s renewed involvement in the continent stems from its need to access Africa’s natural resources, primarily energy and minerals. For many African countries this transparency is what differentiates China from the West. Both China and Africa are clear on their intentions and neither side wishes to influence the other ideologically or politically, says the forum spokesman.