CHINA: China's capital, Beijing, is gearing up for the arrival of heads of state from 40 African nations for a major forum to discuss the growing importance of the country's trade with Africa, set to exceed €40 billion this year.
The city is dotted with billboards welcoming the African delegates in English, French and Chinese for next week's forum. Beggars have been taken off the streets, the usual airport touts offering overpriced taxis are gone, and the schools are being let out early to keep traffic moving. Beijing city authorities view the congress as a dry run for the 2008 Olympics.
China has been busy wooing African nations in recent years to boost its diplomatic muscle on the continent, win contracts for Chinese companies and help meet its growing energy needs.
Its enthusiasm for building economic ties with some of the worst human rights offenders in Africa, such as Sudan, has earned it widespread international criticism. But China is increasingly reliant on Africa's energy and mineral resources to fuel its booming economy and staunchly defends its links with African governments accused of civil rights abuses.
"Chinese investment has promoted economic growth in African countries, increased job opportunities, brought technical applications to African countries and improved living standards for African people," deputy commerce minister Wei Jianguo told a news conference yesterday.
Africa is rich in oil and other natural resources, while China is the world's second biggest consumer of oil and petrol after the US. Its factories need iron ore and copper to keep churning out the industrial goods fuelling the economic boom and China has been unstinting in its efforts to maintain good relations with the world's poorest continent.
China has diplomatic relations with 49 African nations and more than 40 heads of state are due to attend the China-Africa forum, officials said. The meeting will focus on trade and economic development, including China's €4.75 billion worth of investments there, rather than more contentious issues such as arms sales to Angola.
Human rights group Amnesty International says China's secret arms exports to Sudan are fuelling human rights violations and helping sustain conflict.
World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz this week accused China and its banks of ignoring human rights and environmental standards when lending to developing countries in Africa.
Popular resentment in Africa has been building, with many countries complaining about the flood of cheap manufactured goods from China, which they say is damaging local industry. There has also been unrest over labour standards at companies with Chinese investment.
Angola overtook Saudi Arabia this year to become China's largest supplier of crude oil, and state energy company Sinopec has offered large bonuses for oil exploration and production contracts in Africa.
On a tour of Egypt, Ghana, Congo, Angola, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda earlier this year, prime minister Wen Jiabao offered Angola a €1.6 billion credit line.
China has come under fire for investing in oil-rich Sudan, whose president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, was expected to be among the leaders attending the summit.
Assistant foreign minister Zhai Jun said Mr Bashir and Chinese leaders would discuss the situation in Darfur. "We believe the humanitarian situation should be improved and we support an active role for the UN in this," Mr Zhai said. However, he intoned the long-held Chinese mantra that human rights issues were a domestic problem and not one for foreign governments to meddle in. "It is never our view that a country should interfere in another country's internal affairs and human rights."