The favourable business environment in Africa is of course no secret to the multinationals and post 9-11 investments into Africa have been flowing in from various countries at a feverish pace. China, the fastest growing economy on the planet, has started making inroads into the African markets after establishing a Sino-Africa Business Council. Trade between China and Africa registed an unprecedented growth of ninefold between 1999 and 2003 and stands at approximately $18 billion. Trade analysyts expect this figure to reach a whopping $110 Billion by 2008.

China National Petroleum Company has acquired a 40 per cent stake in one of Sudan’s major oil exploration project and Chinese workers built a 1,600 kilometre long pipeline in Sudan. In fact, China has been actively partnering with African governments to meet its rising demand for oil. In March, 2004 the Chinese governemnt extended a soft loan of $2billion to Angola to secure a regular supply of 10,00 barels of oil per day.

In Zimbabwe, China has reportedly finalised a deal to supply the African nation with fighter jets and other military goods worth $200 million. China has taken advantage of the isolation resulting from the moral and financial bankrupcy of Mugabe's government in the eyes of the Western powers. Indeed, Trade and tourism ties between China and Zimbabwe have been "flourishing" in recent years. A growing number of Chinese citizens are now travelling to Zimbabwe "to enjoy the many tourist attractions that the country of Robert Mugabe as to offer"!! The increased trade and tourism ties between Zimbabwe and China has resulted in the recent announcement of twice-weekly direct flights between Harare and Beijing. In fact, speculation is rife that the exiled western farmers of Zimbabwe will eventually be replaced by Chinese investors eager to capitalise in Zimbawe’s ailing tobbaco farming industry. Chinese companies are also reportedly vying to gain a major share of Zimbabwe’s lucrative mineral extraction industry.

In Zambia, Chinese contractors have said to have won a contract worth $600 million to build a hydroelectric plant at Kague Gorge. Other Chinese construction companies are also reportedly working on lucrative contracts to build hotels, roads and bridges in Botswana and South Africa. High level delegations from China have been busy forging trade ties with various African countries and have bee touring countries like Nigeria, Gabon, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Exports from Africa to China have also been registering a marked growth in recent years. South Africa’s exports to China have more than doubled in the last five years. Notable among these exports are raw materials needed to meet the rising demand for China’s manufacturing sector – commodities like coal and gold. Chinese companies have also been using African factories to stitch garments using Chinese raw materials and cloth for exports to the United States under the AGOA agreement that allows duty free imports from certian African countries into the United States.

China's position with regard to its relationship with African countries is that it has simply been making efforts to establish "a new strategic partnership with political equality and mutual trust, economic cooperation and cultural exchange". However, some of the talking heads have recently attempted to "discredit Sino-African relations" by, "propagating their African version of the 'China threat' theory".

Among other things, the charge has been levelled that China is trying to impose "a kind of neo-colonialism on Africa" and that they are plundering Africa's resources. This is seen by China as an attempt to "drive a wedge between China and African countries and to destroy the Sino-Africa Cooperation". Indeed these statements could be said to lack historical basis and are open to obvious charges of hypocrisy. China has a very dark side undoubtedly with regard to its Human Rights record. But for Western pundits to accuse China of colonialism in Africa really is the pot calling the kettle black. Its likely purpose is to obstruct Chinese enterprises from accessing the African market and safeguard the interests of Western countries in Africa.

It is well noted that Western colonial powers committed numerous crimes including slavery in their exploitation of Africa. At a conference in Berlin in 1885, European powers secretly divided up Africa between them and rewrote the map of Africa by setting up about 50 colonies and protectorates. In addition to trade and military control, European powers also gradually molded African countries into their material suppliers and product-dumping markets. This too can be used as a measure of exploitation. It resulted in single and abnormal economic structures in many countries, thereby having a long-term impact on the sustainable economic development of these nations.

European colonial powers also introduced new languages and new clans to Africa, which created ethnic conflicts, incited religious dissent and provoked religious conflict, thereby undermining the traditional African social and economic order. As a result, African countries have been in a poor and backward state since they were granted independence. Even today, those industries which are of utmost importance to African countries' economic lifeline such as heavy industry, mining and manufacturing are owned by Western multinational corporations.

Since the 9/11 attacks, Western countries have adjusted their policies toward Africa. starting to attach greater importance to African countries because of the significance of its resources. The proportion of African oil imported by the United States has risen to 16 percent and is expected to hit 25 percent by 2015. Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer and the world's sixth largest oil exporter. However 95 percent of its daily oil output is under the control of Western oil companies.

In order to maximize profits in Niger Delta oil-producing areas, major Western oil companies reduced spending on infrastructure construction. Frequent pipeline ruptures have led to the spontaneous combustion of oil spill fire. Large areas of farmland and forest have been burned to ashes. Thick smoke has generated heavy pollution in the air, soil and rivers. Surrounding residents cannot even drink clean water. Long-term exploitation by these companies has led to recurrent violence in the area. Since the second half of last year, the unstable situation in this region has become the major reason for the rise in international crude oil prices. The predatory exploitation of African resources by largely Western transnational corporations is the real cause of the so-called "economic colonialism" of Africa, despite transparent mainstream media attempts to snipe at the easy target of China so enthusiastically.