WASHINGTON, May 7 (RIA Novosti), Lyudmila Chernova – China is boosting its outlays of aid to get ahead in the race to win Africa, according to Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni, the head of the South African-based Archie Mafeje Research Institute.
Ndlovu-Gatsheni told RIA Novosti Wednesday that the economic interests of the US and China in Africa are very similar, focused on strategic natural resources like oil and minerals.
“Technically, you can say there's a developing scramble for the control of Africa,” Ndlovu-Gatsheni said. "China is just emerging as a global power, and just like the US is interested in controlling a big chunk of Africa so as to finance its own industrialization.”
"Ever since the economic crisis that hit the West, we have seen the escalation of competition for African resources, and this provided the broader context within which to understand the US-China competition for Africa,” the head of the Archie Mafeje Research Institute added.
According to Ndlovu-Gatsheni, China’s investment in infrastructure development is in line with what Africa actually needs. China provides investment easier than the US and the African regimes now have a variety of options for sources of aid.
“If they fail in the West, ... in the US, then they can go to China,” he added.
On Tuesday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced an additional US$12 billion aid package for Africa along with an offer to share advanced technology to help with the development of high-speed rail on the continent.