Stephen Marks

'"Good news" for Africa – bad news for the poor'. That is the message of the IMF’s (International Monetary Fund) latest regional economic outlook for sub-Saharan Africa. But you would have to look for the small print to find the second half of the message.

Guinea, Ghana And Other Deals

NEW CURRENCY
Robert Fisk caused a storm by his claim in the Independent that;

The TAZARA railway has assumed almost iconic status as a symbol of the first heroic stage of China’s involvement in Africa and an ideologically inspired symbol of anti-imperialist solidarity, in contrast with today’s more pragmatic and market-driven Chinese engagement with the continent.

When China detained four Shanghai-based executives of the Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto on spying charges earlier this month, Western governments and business leaders feared the possible implications for Western firms doing business in China.

How will the global economic crisis impact on China’s African involvement? Till now discussion has focussed on whether the impact will be positive or negative.

On paper it all looks great. The G20, its communiqué assured us, had pulled the rabbit of expansion and regulation out of the hat and clearly turned the old days of global free market dogmatism into history.

China’s continuing African trade investment and aid could act as a buffer for African economies.

The end of 2008 saw a Chinese fleet set sail for Africa – the first time since the 15th century – on modern China’s first-ever potential combat mission beyond its neighbouring waters.

But Yoon Jung Park has chosen to write about neither of these, but rather about the smallest and at first sight least significant of South Africa’s Chinese communities; the 10,000 to 12,000 South African-born Chinese whose community was already established in South Africa before and during the ap