LAST week, China played host to 53 African countries and unveiled its latest triennial aid plan for the continent: $60 billion, the same as in 2015, but with some differences. Many African countries were in Beijing to lobby for specific projects. In 1971, when the People’s Republic of China won a vote in the UN General Assembly and gained the China seat, replacing Taiwan, it was done with overwhelming support from African countries. Mao Zedong observed that China had been carried into the UN on the backs of African countries. The US, despite its more substantial aid, is being overshadowed by Chinese loans.

Source: Manila Times September 10, 2018 16:52 UTC