From AP:
Chinese President Hu Jintao is in Africa bearing the usual gifts of money for soccer stadiums and interest-free loans. But he also has brought a new recognition of the downside of China’s aggressive quest for the continent’s resources.
These include tensions over mounting trade imbalances, the practices of some Chinese investors and the risks of doing business with rogue states…
Hu was met by flag-waving crowds and standing ovations. But he also had to deal with pressure to influence Sudan’s government about the bloody conflict in Darfur. And in Liberia, there were rumors that a legislator received a handout from Taiwan, China’s rival. [Full Text]
Related Washington Post report: Hu Defends China’s Role in Africa says, “Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday sought to reassure Africans that his country’s aggressive investments in oil, copper and other natural resources do not amount to a new wave of colonialism, saying China would “not do anything harmful to the interests of Africa and its people.””
