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DAKAR, Senegal (AP) – Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Africa on Saturday on a four-nation visit seeking deeper military and economic interests while in the world, the trump administration, shows little interest in the world's second most populous continent.
This is the first trip to the world because of his desire. That rank familiar to some of Africa's long-entrenched leaders.
China is already Africa's largest trading partner, and it opened its first military base on the continent last year in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, which this month launched in China -backed free trade zone it calls the largest in Africa. After the war in China in Africa in recent years, China this month hosted by the Chinese-African Defense Ministers.
the BRICS emerging economies in South Africa that starts on Wednesday.
The summit comes amid the United States' trillion-dollar trade with China and tough trade negotiations with other key economic partners. BRICS members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa criticized what they called a "new wave of protectionism," saying US measures undermine global trade and economic growth.
Xi's Africa visit also highlights China's sweeping "Belt and Road" initiative that considers linking Beijing to Africa, Europe and other parts of Asia via a network of ports, railways, power plants and economic zones.
While such high-profile projects , US officials and others have warned that African nations are putting themselves into debt to China. Its members, banks and contractors loaned more than $ 94 billion to African governments and state-owned companies from 2000 to 2015, according to the China Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University.
"Public debt in the median sub-Saharan African country rose from 34 percent of GDP in 2013 to an estimated 53 percent in 2017, "says a report in January by Wenjie Chen and Roger North of the International Monetary Fund.
From oil in countries like Nigeria to rare minerals in Congo Africa's natural resources are a major draw for China's economy, the world's second largest behind the US China's voracious appetite for resources such as timber and ivory, however, has taken its toll on Africa's environment, often with the help of corrupt local officials. 19659010] On the first visit to a West African country Xi will meet with President Macky Sall of Senegal, which according to the International Monetary Fund had economic growth of 7.2 percent last year and whose largest trading partner is the European Union, notably France.
The stop highlights China's interest both in Francophone Africa and in Atlantic Ocean ports, while Senegal posts itself as a gateway to the region. Already a Chinese-backed industrial park has appeared outside the capital, Dakar, while road and road links are being improved as part of an ambitious plan to reach the other end of the continent in Djibouti
Xi then moves to Rwanda, East African country, which grew by 6.1 percent last year. He will meet with President Paul Kagame and visit a memorial for Rwanda's 1994 genocide, which killed more than 800,000 people
The Chinese leader then will make his third state visit to South Africa for the BRICS summit. South Africa's economy, one of Africa's largest, grew just 1.3 percent last year to form President Jacob Zuma, who resigned in February.
Finally, Xi will stop in the Indian Ocean island Nation of Mauritius, whose economy grew by 3.9 percent last year.
China's economic push will continue in September with the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which brings together dozens of heads of state.
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Anna reported from Johannesburg. Associated Press writers Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda and Christopher Torchia in Johannesburg contributed
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