Capital-intensive Communism from China – Allehanda de Ystad

Photo: Themba Hadebe

The leaders of the Brics countries – a group consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – are meeting this week in Johannesburg. Turkey and 19 African countries are also participating in the meeting. Among other things, we are discussing how to manage the US trade barrier and a customs war.

Before the meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to Africa, where China has long been the world's largest investor. At the beginning of the century, bilateral trade between China and Africa rose to $ 10 billion. In 2014, it was 220 billion dollars. And when Jinping came to South Africa, he announced that they were planning to invest $ 14 billion more in the country.

This is part of China's long-term strategy of "invigorating the Chinese nation". The weak institutional states with fragile economies are the perfect breeding ground for planting thoughtful seeds.

Moreover, China's billions must be considered. Africa is an important instrument for China to experiment with new strategies and methods of using geopolitics, infrastructure and trade to strengthen the position on the world stage.

Moreover, in Africa, China needs a lot of resources. strengthen its technical and military capabilities, such as the metals required in modern car batteries and large quantities of oil.

China has changed its focus on future growth from domestic consumption to goods exports from cars to phones. In Africa, Chinese companies have found fast-growing consumer markets to ship products that the western world does not demand.

But it is not only in Africa that China uses money to gain geopolitical influence. He pledged $ 14 billion for nuclear investments in Argentina. The dry highlands of Tibet are investing in rain chambers that stimulate clouds of clouds as Chinese government consortia build dust under trays to secure new sources of increasing demand for bottled water.

. But behind China's fine words on the increase in trade and the increase in trade, Xi Jinping's big ambitions are located.