Thanks to friend Al who sent an article by Peter Hitchins on the dire situation in many African countries caused by the presence of Chinese investors and government sponsored resource extraction and infrasturcture development projects: I have been pointing out for several years now the billions of dollars China has been pouring into many African nations for "development" projects. Then, Chinese entrepreneurs come in to provide support (food, goods) to the Chinese workers (managers), so not only are the locals only employed in menial labour and not only is there no further managerial training (promised by the Chinese to the local politicians as a way to get the projects in....plus bribes), but local businesses get screwed too. Note that the Chinese also paid all expenses for Ethiopian journalists (and how many others?) to attend the Beijing Olympics. The Mail & Guardian ran a similarly worrisome story in August 2008 on this very issue. These resource and infrastructure projects are all over the continent from Algeria all the way through South Africa.
The only other thing more worrying than the Chinese moving in, are the Muslim evangelicals moving into deep rural areas in Southern Africa (maybe other places too, I just don't know), setting up schools (madrasses) and businesses, and only hiring people if they convert.....
