China's Grip on Africa's Resources

January 22, 2024

Mr. Amit Jain, Director, NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies, Singapore, discusses a recent shift in Africa's economic landscape. Traditionally considered economically disadvantaged, certain nations like Zimbabwe and Namibia have unearthed substantial lithium and heavy earth oxide deposits. However, Mr. Jain highlights a concerning trend—China has secured 85 percent of Africa's rare earth deposits, leading to what he terms a new form of colonialism. In this interview, Mr. Jain unravels the geopolitical dynamics and implications for African nations, shedding light on the challenges posed by China's strategic resource acquisition.

Mr. Amit Jain, Director, NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies, Singapore

RELATED CONTENT

  • Authors
    July 28, 2017
    Renewable energy technologies are projected to have substantial growth in the coming decades, especially given the environmental, social and economic drivers observed globally. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region encloses abundant alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and hydropower. The concern is more whether the Arab region will be able to respond to and manage the growth opportunities in this emerging sector. This Policy Brief explores opportunities and chall ...
  • Authors
    June 9, 2017
    In June 2017, the second Annual Report on Commodity Analytics and Dynamics In Africa (Arcadia report) was published, in collaboration between the OCP Policy Center and CyclOpe. Its aim is to annually report on the evolution of the economic, legal, financial and societal links between Africa and the world commodity markets, both with regard to the cyclical changes in the markets, and to the structural changes or failures that may have emerged. Focusing on 2016 and early 2017, the Arc ...
  • Authors
    Under the direction of
    Philippe Chalmin
    June 7, 2017
    In 2016, the countenance of Africa emerged slightly reassured. While global growth has remained fairly dull, with sluggish international trade and economic packages on the continent continuing to fail, the rebound of prices for many commodities along with a sustained investment dynamics have somewhat dispersed the threatening clouds that had obscured its economic horizon in 2015. A slight improvement therefore, but which should not make us forget that the macroeconomic performance o ...
  • Authors
    May 25, 2017
    For its 6th edition, the Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa, held in Bahir Dar on Lake Tana in Ethiopia from April 22 to 23, 2017, focused on the theme of Natural Resource Governance in Africa. One of the forum session’s key discussion points sought to "understand and explain why the exploitation of these resources is increasingly a source of tension and violence, which have dramatic repercussions on the continent’s peace and stability." During the various events throughout ...
  • April 25, 2017
    Chinese investors are increasingly interested in Africa. Some criticize them for privileging mining investments. A 2017 analysis of these investments shows that investments in mining have not been the only ones privileged by the Chinese operators. Many other sectors such as transport and energy have benefited from Chinese investments, much more so than the mining sector, for example. ...
  • Authors
    April 12, 2017
    We argue in this paper that electricity production needs to be multiplied by a large factor in the coming years for East Africa to reach the economic growth rate it deserves after the improvement of its socio-political situation. The rural electrification rate in North Africa as represented for instance by Morocco was higher than 99.50% in the first quarter of 2017 while it was barely 10% in some parts of Western Kenya. We also make the case for hydroelectricity as the adequate ren ...
  • Authors
    Youssef El Hayani
    November 11, 2016
    Africa is endowed with an abundance of renewable (forestry, water, wind, solar) and non-renewable (extractives, oil, gas, minerals) natural resources. It is estimated that the continent accounts for about 7% of global oil reserves, 7% of natural gas, 20% of land area, 9% of renewable water resources and 17% of forests. The continent is also home to the largest or second largest world reserves of bauxite, cobalt, industrial diamonds, manganese, phosphate rock and platinum group metal ...