OutSyed The Box

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 06:17 PM PST

The email says this is Malawi in Africa. These look like schoolboys in Malawi, Africa who are attending a Chinese school. They are singing a Chinese song - in Africa. Note the notice board on the right, written all in Chinese.

Despite half a century of World Bank interference and IMF meddling, Africa became a basket case. About 20 years ago, some African states were facing negative growth rates. Wars, warlords, tribalism and dictatorships meant that roads were being reclaimed by the bush - due to poor maintenance.

Then the Chinese moved in. Easily for the past decade, the Chinese have invested more in Africa than the World Bank, IMF, US and Europe combined. Africa means all the 54 countries on the continent from Algeria in the north to South Africa.

The Chinese are investing heavily in infrastructure in Africa. They build roads, highways, railways, dams, bridges, schools. hospitals and towns. And they invest in the most forsaken places including Somalia.

As a results, large chunks of Africa (not all of it yet) are seeing huge economic growth figures. The whole of Africa has been growing at about 5% pa.a over the past few years. Here is some info :

"ten years (from 2000), growth in Africa has surpassed that of East Asia. Data suggest parts of the continent are now experiencing fast growth.
growth comparable or greater to that of the Asian Tiger, Latin Puma markets, gaining them the new nickname, the Lion Markets.
World Bank reports the economy of Sub-Saharan African countries grew at rates that match or surpass global rates.
economies of the fastest growing African nations experienced growth significantly above the global average rates.
The top nations in 2007 include Mauritania with growth at 19.8%, Angola at 17.6%, Sudan at 9.6%, Mozambique at 7.9% and Malawi at 7.8%.
Other fast growers include Rwanda, Mozambique, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia

The Chinese are helping to make all this happen in Africa. Today there are close to 1.0 million Chinese expatriates who live and work in Africa. Yet there is little or no resentment among Africans towards the Chinese in Africa. Chinese workers work alongside African labour on the farms and in the construction crews.

You will hear of a Chinese engineer, Chinese farm worker, Chinese construction worker etc in Africa but you will rarely if ever hear of a Chinese secret service agent, Chinese equivalent of the CIA meddling around in Africa.

The world is really changing around us. If they can sing and speak in Chinese, those African boys will possibly have a huge advantage over many other people, when they grow up. We have to be practical about how we approach things.

Why Obama

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:06 AM PST