Over the past few decades, China has been all over Africa, building railroads, airports, bridges, and power dams, doing what Africa’s colonial masters should have done eons ago. Trade between China and Africa has surged dramatically from US$1 billion in 1980 to US$128 billion in 2016, while cumulative loans to African governments have hit US$143 billion, with half of them given over the last four years alone, making it Africa’s largest bilateral creditor. China’s lending to African countries has particularly skyrocketed under the massive Belt and Road Initiative . On the surface, China is investing in the continent to help African countries develop a sound infrastructure and place the continent on the global map. African countries need these investments to sustain economic growth and join the global economy. However, a peek below the surface reveals that China could be investing more aggressively in Africa for less altruistic reasons: To […]