beeline for africa..
Africa is increasingly on everyone's agenda -- from the U.S. to China to Osama bin Laden. Increased competition for mineral and oil resources, which has been sending prices rocketing, makes African resources even more sought after, and protecting them even more critical, especially with radical Islamist groups stepping up efforts to extend their foothold.
Beijing is working hard to avoid further arousing U.S. suspicions by seeming to make a grab for oil, Chinese President Hu Jintao's just-ended trip to the U.S. was where he went afterward: first Saudi Arabia, then three African states --Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya.
China has made Africa a front line in its pursuit of more global influence, tripling trade with the continent to some $37 billion over the past five years and locking up energy assets, closing trade deals with odious regimes like Sudan's, and educating Africa's future elites at Chinese universities and military schools.
The chief of the U.S. military's European Command, U.S. Gen. James Jones, says the command now spends 70% of its time and energy on Africa, up from nearly nothing when he took over more than three years ago. "Africa plays an increased strategic role militarily, economically and politically," he says. "We have to become more agile in terms of being able to compete in this environment."
source - wall street journal - full report here
Beijing is working hard to avoid further arousing U.S. suspicions by seeming to make a grab for oil, Chinese President Hu Jintao's just-ended trip to the U.S. was where he went afterward: first Saudi Arabia, then three African states --Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya.
China has made Africa a front line in its pursuit of more global influence, tripling trade with the continent to some $37 billion over the past five years and locking up energy assets, closing trade deals with odious regimes like Sudan's, and educating Africa's future elites at Chinese universities and military schools.
The chief of the U.S. military's European Command, U.S. Gen. James Jones, says the command now spends 70% of its time and energy on Africa, up from nearly nothing when he took over more than three years ago. "Africa plays an increased strategic role militarily, economically and politically," he says. "We have to become more agile in terms of being able to compete in this environment."
source - wall street journal - full report here
