Zim's "look East" policy

From Zim Independent via All Africa:

...

China, as one of the world's fastest growing economies, has a voracious appetite for Africa's vast and in some cases untapped natural resources. The first Focac summit was held in Beijing in 2000, followed by the second summit in Addis Ababa in 2003 and the third summit in Beijing in 2006....

Zimbabwe is well endowed with virtually every strategic mineral resource known to mankind; most of which is yet to be exploited.

China is acutely aware of Zimbabwe's strategic position as a sleeping economic giant with vast mineral and other natural resources. China has become the third largest commercial partner in Africa after the US and France.

There are about 450 Chinese-owned investment projects in Africa, most of them in resource extraction. Since the inception of the first Focac summit in 2000, the trade relationship between China and Africa has increased from US$10,5 billion to US$106 billion in 2008....

(Keet)

She boldly stated that African countries should be very careful and cautious when they enter economic and financial agreements with China. For obvious reasons, China would like to portray herself as Africa's "all weather friend".

Naturally, African dictators are very keen to enter economic relations with China mainly because China is hardly bothered about issues of governance, environmental sustainability and human rights.

These African dictators will tell you that aid from China is always without any strings attached. ...

If Africa fails to develop her own strategic economic agenda with the Chinese, the African continent will remain just a huge market for cheap imports from China whilst Africa's vast natural resources will continue to be plundered by the new capitalists from the East....