Verso un nuovo colonialismo? La silenziosa conquista dell'Africa da parte dell'economia cinese

Abstract

Toward a new colonialism? The silent conquest of Africa by Chinese economy

The role of China in Africa over the past decade has brought many economical, political and social changes, in this wide continent. During the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2006, President Hu Jintao announced that China would create a development fund of 5 billion dollars between the two countries to encourage and support Chinese investment in Africa. The Beijing government has created special areas of trade and economic cooperation in Africa to provide assistance in various sectors, such as energy, infrastructure, telecommunications, transport, education, medicine and many others. Currently, China is the first Asian trading partner in Africa, and the latter is the country to which its exports are growing. Europe has often accused China of exploitation and of having as its sole objective the application of an imperialist policy for the extraction of raw materials, such as oil, as it is particularly the case in Nigeria, where Chinese entrepreneurs have obtained several joint-ventures with the Nigerian oil companies . This African state, in fact, is a strategic area, rich in resources, lacking in management, which offers extraordinary investment opportunities for multinational companies in China, not only in mining, but also in many other different sectors including the military, the agricultural and telecommunications ones. The increase in trade and foreign direct investment on the African territory can create employment opportunities and facilitate the transfer of know-how and advanced technologies.