China gets oil and other natural resources from Africa, while exporting cheap goods. In return, Africa gets aid, weapons and trade. International pariahs such as Sudan and Zimbabwe get support from China.

China can ignore the abuse of rights and the genocide in Darfur on the basis of “non-interference” in the affairs of other nations. It can do this because its own regime is a dictatorship. China exports arms to Africa. China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters “We only export those articles to sovereign countries and we demand that the relevant countries make commitments not to transfer the arms imported from China to third parties.”

China has all the trappings of a new imperialist power in Africa, and its colonialism will be harder to throw off than the rule of the former colonial powers of Europe.

In all, for China, the match with Africa is one made in heaven. It not only boosts its economy and diversifies its sources of supply of vital raw materials such as oil, it also gains political leverage. How it uses this influence will be a key indicator of China’s “peaceful rise.”

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