10 Things You Need To Know About China’s Trade Relations With Africa Today

With the growing presence of Chinese firms in infrastructure projects in Africa, ranging from reservoirs to football stadiums, here are 10 important things you need to note about China and Africa’s five-year intense bilateral trade relations today:

·         Africa is of prime strategic importance for China's economy.

·         An estimated of 1million Chinese are now resident in Africa, up from a few thousand a decade ago.

·         Chinese are the fourth-most-numerous visitors to South Africa.

·         China’s growing presence in Africa has often been referred to as "Chinese neo-colonialism in Africa" (a new form of colonialism)  - but the suspicion is changing.

·         Almost 80 percent of Chinese imports from Africa are mineral products.

·         China is Africa’s top business partner, with trade exceeding $166 billion.

·         Chinese President Xi Jinping first time visit to Africa will see him sign more than 60 agreements in different fields, with special emphasis on new structures in Africa such as roads, railways and electricity or air transport facilities.

·         More than 2,500 Chinese companies are part of projects in the continent with direct investments that at the end of 2013 stood at $25,000 million.

·         China has been Africa's largest trading partner in the last five years, with a turnover that reached $210,000 million last year.

·         China often turns a blind eye to human-rights abuses in Africa (most especially in labour-related issues), but it has not undermined democratic institutions or conventions.