China’s economic footprint in Africa has grown fast over the last two decades. Across the continent, Chinese-backed mines, oilfields, railways and industrial zones have gone from being ambitious projects to central pillars of national development plans.
This has been made possible by over US$181 billion in infrastructure loans and about US$50 billion in foreign direct investment.
The China-Africa relationship is often portrayed as one of two things: either a threat to sovereignty or a development opportunity.
