No. 02 | 05.02.2021

Chinese and Ethiopian workers building the African Union buildings in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. [VCG Photo/CGTN]


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Geopolitics

Digital Silk Road expands internet connectivity, linking Africa to Europe and Asia with 15,000 km fiber optic cables

Final stretch of the cable being laid in Pakistan brings internet to remote areas in North, East and Southern Africa, increases data transmission speed and security, and circumvents reliance on Western and Indian telecoms companies

Arab public opinion favors Chinese economic cooperation over the US interventionist policies in region, US-funded survey shows

China received most support in Algeria (60%), Morocco (52%) and Tunisia (50%) compared to US’s high in Morocco (28%); Chinese direct investment in North Africa grew 15.4% (Jan-Nov 2020) and Middle East supplied 41% of country’s crude oil imports (2018)

See survey results: Arab Barometer, 12.o1.2021

Economy

Chinese workers in Africa drop 30.7% from 2015 peak with falling commodity prices and changing foreign labor requirements

Employed by 10,000 Chinese-owned businesses on construction contracts and labor services in factories, Chinese workforce decreased from 263,659 to 182,745 (2015-19) – lower than “million” claimed by Western media

As Nigeria and China celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations on 10 February, we recall the Wuhan Acrobatic Troupe rehearsing with Nigerians before a collective performance in Kano state (1975) [Chinese Embassy Nigeria]