China in Africa: Two Items

China-Africa Trade
In 2000, trade between China and Africa stood at a little more than US$10 billion. In that year, the average external debt of African nations stood at 63% of gross domestic product (GDP), and average inflation was at 15%. [3]

Now that Sino-African trade amounts to roughly $200 billion per year, the average external debt in Africa is down to 22% of GDP, and inflation is at a more comfortable 8% yearly rate.

Correlation does not always mean causality, but the fact that Africa's most rapid period of economic growth has coincided with the rise of Sino-African trade cannot be ignored. China has a clear self-interest in encouraging prosperity, peace, and infrastructure in the African continent. Trade needs political stability and reliable transportation to function. Furthermore, impoverished people do not make good customers.


China-Africa Opinions
According to a 2011 BBC World Service Poll, 82% of Nigerians and 77% of Kenyans believed that China's economic growth had a "positive impact" on their country. [5] These were the highest positive ratings of China's economic rise of any of the 27 countries polled, excluding China itself. This optimistic attitude was mirrored in Ghana (62%), but markedly less prevalent in Egypt (54%) and South Africa (52%).

Furthermore, the same study found an overwhelming majority of Africans to view China's trading practices as "fair" - from 88% in Nigeria to 61% in South Africa. According to the same poll, only 5% of Nigerians and 18% of South Africans viewed Chinese trading practices as "unfair".

China's image problem in Africa resides primarily in the minds of Western observers. Although there are significant concerns about unsustainable trading practices, these concerns do not constitute a continent-wide anti-China sentiment.