Trade between China and Africa at US$115bn a year

Trade between Africa and China was valued at almost US $115bn last year, and is growing at a rate of 43.5 per cent, it was revealed this week.

Chinese investment in the continent has been expanding rapidly over the past decade with bilateral trade deals signed between China and 45 African countries.

But the concentration of Chinese investment has been in eight African countries including Kenya and Tanzania but also South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, Zambia and controversially Sudan and Zimbabwe according to the UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Invested heavily

China has invested heavily in Kenya’s ports and is part of a $22 billion project announced by the Kenyan government in April 2008 that includes a rail line and a motorway linking neighbouring Ethiopia, Southern Sudan and Rwanda to the port at Lamu.

China has also invested in hydro and wind power projects.

In Tanzania, Chinese direct investment has exceeded US $200m by the end of 2009, with investments in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, mining and construction commodities and a number of transport infrastructure projects.