The Chinese Roadmap: How China Is Integral To The Rise Of The African Diaspora
The African diaspora is home to some of the world’s poorest and least developed communities and countries in the world. An incredible amount of development and investment is required for the African diaspora to reach its full potential. But where can this investment come from?
In an earlier blog post titled ‘Why Nigeria is key to the rise of the African Diaspora’ we laid out the reasons, both demographic and economic for why we believe that Nigeria is a key component in the rise of the African diaspora. However we also must point out that the investment needed in Africa is something that will require strategic partnerships outside the African diaspora.
This is why we believe that China is an integral factor in the rise of the African diaspora.
China is already the leading direct investor in Africa with its investments on the continent rising in Q1 of 2017. In addition, China has serious and significant plans with their ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ which if successful, would have a transformative effect on the economies of the world.
Ravi Ramamurti on the Belt and Road Initiative and its African impact
An excellent article which thoroughly explains how the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ and Foreign Direct Investment can impact Africa in the same way FDI positively impacted China is HERE.
Basically African countries can use ‘FDI’ (Foreign Direct Investment) in the same way that China did back in the early 2000’s to spur economic growth within their country to the point where they are now the second largest economy in the world and projected to become the largest in coming years.
The roadmap is laid out already, the African diaspora merely has to follow it. Let us not forget that less than fifty years ago China was one of the poorest countries in the world. The steps they have taken to transform themselves should be a constant reminder to every African and person of African descent that it is possible within one lifetime to completely change the trajectory of an entire nation of people.
Our recommendation to the leaders of the African diaspora, especially those in major African countries such as South Africa and Nigeria (among others) is to take advantage of the investments and aid China is willing to provide while they concentrate on the ‘Belt and Road initiative’ to improve the lives of their people and not succumb to the temptation to line their own pockets. The long-term advantages of investment will provide greater riches and stability than any short-term gain and that fact has already been proven.