Politico: Coronavirus ends China's honeymoon in Africa
Beijing has spent billions to win friends and influence politics in Africa. But the virus is threatening to upend years of careful work.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Africa was supposed to be China’s new stomping grounds. Instead, the novel coronavirus has spawned a growing backlash that threatens to unwind the ties Beijing has carefully cultivated over decades.
The trigger for the burgeoning diplomatic crisis: Anger over the treatment of African citizens living in China and frustration at Beijing’s position on granting debt relief to fight against the outbreak.
China has spent untold billions in Africa since its emergence as a global power, investing in its natural resources, underwriting massive infrastructure projects and wooing its leaders. The campaign has bought China friends and allies in multilateral institutions such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization, undermining the West’s once-reliable lock on the postwar world order while fueling its economy back home.
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WNU Editor: While the total number of Covid-19 coronavirus cases in Africa are still low, the daily number of confirmed cases continues to explode exponentially .... Coronavirus in Africa tracker (BBC). If this continues, and I am betting that it will, in six weeks the number of cases and deaths in Africa will be approaching U.S. and European numbers. And while many are hopeful that Africa's climate will help to stem the growth of this pandemic, I am not that optimistic. This coronavirus pandemic is the deadliest that we have seen in a long time, and it is not going to go away anytime soon. Here is an easy prediction. In the event that the worst case scenario does unfold in Africa, many Africans will be looking at China with suspicions and a lot of anger. They will not forget, nor will they forgive how China purposely held back information on this disease in the beginning. And as for China moving forward to forgive debt from African nations, I can say with confidence that it is not going to happen. China is not in the charity business. And if they do give something, there will be strings attached.
2 comments:
Many of the African traders in China are no angels. They make a lot of money and if they feel inclined, they ditch their Chinese wives and kids.
Excuse me? Racism in China?
Please, haven't you watched CNN?
Don't you know that racism can only be done by white people?
Don Lemon (CNN) made it quite clear that the real problem of the world are white people. And he is black. Black people - just like women - never lie, never are wrong. Haven't you watched any CNN at all? Please catch up with the programming, so you know what's up!
Kidding of course. Don Lemon is worthless scum and he was/still is friends with Jessie Smolett, the guy who wanted to get a raise for pretending he was attacked by white people.
That's CNN for you. Dividing the country one bit at a time.
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