Red Scare

Bill Machon

A million Chinese citizens are living in Africa.  Surprised?  While America is preoccupied with the Middle East, China is enmeshed economically with virtually the entire continent of Africa.  China's exponentially exploding economy has created a virtually unquenchable thirst for natural resources that has led them to Africa.  China needs it, and Africa has it. Oil, iron, steel, uranium, zinc, lead, copper, aluminum, tin, cobalt, gold, platinum, cotton, rubber, nickel, coal, and timber are all up for grabs.  The Chinese government subsidizes Chinese business undertakings in Africa, making it difficult for other nations to do business there.  Also, the Chinese have no qualms about doing business with corrupt African governments and dictators.  When aid is offered to Africa from the West, there are stipulations regarding everything from environmental regulation to clean government requirements.  China is not just outspending the West's economic injections to Africa, but they are doing so without the strict stipulations, creating an obvious, almost unbeatable advantage for Chinese business interests.

The Chinese influence truly permeates the African continent.  One African nation, Mauritius, is even teaching the Chinese language in their schools.  Mozambique is another example of Chinese influence in Africa.  In exchange for access to Mozambique's timber, Chinese money has led to the rapid construction of new steel factories, hotels, banks, a soccer stadium, a convention center, a parliament building, and an airport rennovation.  Mozambique is just one country out of more than thirty that the Chinese have enmeshed themselves economically. The danger? What happens when the unreplenishable natural resources run out and China leaves? Environmental devastation like the world has never seen and a possible lapse back into a deep economic black hole is Africa's expected fate if China continues it plundering unabated as it is now.  The repurcussions would be beyond tragic.