China in Africa

FIRST OFF, I AM FINALLY SETTLED INTO MY NEW JOB AND MY BLOG SHOULD BE UP AND RUNNING REGULARLY AGAIN!

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/05/the-next-empire/8018/ by Howard W. French

This was a great article in that it introduced the reader to the complexities of this issue of China's business strategy in Africa.

After having read the article it appears there is a fundamental disconnect between the idea of "Investing in Africa" and "Africa as an investment" with China choosing the latter. In other, as an investment opportunity to be exploited Africa is a shining beacon (read: easy target). This short-sighted approach stands in stark contrast to the idea of building a sustainable, developing economy in Africa.

A Congolese lawyer summed it up best at the end of the article when he said:
"China is taking the place of the West: they take our raw materials and they sell finished goods to the world...What Africans are getting in exchange, whether it is roads or schools or finished goods, doesn't really matter. We remain under the same old schema: our cobalt goes off to China in the form of dusty ore and returns here in the form of expensive batteries."

Questions for consideration:
1. What advantages to Chinese companies (business) enjoy with regards to their involvement in Africa over American companies?
2. How can American companies learn from the mistakes (and successes) of the Chinese in Africa?

Further Exploration
*Check out Professor Deborah Brautigam, American University (interviewed in article) at: http://www.chinaafricarealstory.com/ She recently published a book entitled: The Dragon's Gift: the Real Story of China in Africa
*Check out Professor Patrick J. Keenan's, University of Illinois' paper: "Curse or cure? China, Africa and the effects of unconditioned wealth" available at the following link: http://works.bepress.com/patrick_keenan/