csillagkohó’s Reviews > The Dragon's Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa > Status Update

"Vast areas may seem to be waiting for development, but what appears to be untouched bush is often providing important benefits for local communities, particularly those with poor soils and systems of shifting cultivation ... African governments and civil societies need to protect the rights of communities to say no - or to seek adequate compensation and rents when investors, Chinese and others, come calling."

"The available information suggests that Chinese loans closely fit a country's ability to repay. The larger, less concessional loans are offered to countries such as Angola, Congo, Nigeria, and Sudan, all with rich deposits of natural resources that can serve as collateral. Smaller, poorer countries (Togo, Mali, Rwanda, Burundi) tend to receive grants and zero-interest loans."

China stuurt veel eigen arbeidskrachten naar Afrika (o.a. door tijdsdruk & tekort lokale skills). Het is het bemerken waard dat het Westen dat ook doet met experts, wiens salarissen veel hoger liggen. "In Liberia, a newspaper editorial praised the Chinese for sending a team of doctors to staff the local hospital, instead of 'scores of relief workers who make triple digits in salaries for working in dangerous zones.'"

🌐 "Hiring locally can create problems. In a poor country, the attractiveness of a well-paid job in the office of an NGO or aid agency is obvious; even better is a chance to work overseas. But 'poaching' staff from governments can deplete local capacity. The Chinese use a lot of their own people, which has its drawbacks as well. But their way of doing things usually leaves government officials in government."

"Once, at a state banquet in Australia, [vice premier Zhu Rongji] failed to reappear from a visit to the lavatory. Officials found him studying the mechanism inside the water-saving toilet, which he had disassembled." Sigmamale gedrag

"A Japanese firm exported sewing machines to China and was paid with 300,000 pairs of pajamas."