Showing posts with label Democratic Republic of Congo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Democratic Republic of Congo. Show all posts

Where China’s investing

Statistics shmutistics... while the research apparently says China doesn’t invest disproportionately in resource-rich African countries, a top four of DR Congo (minerals), South Africa (coal and iron ore), Nigeria (oil) and Niger (uranium, and a fresh coup) makes me dubious.

Note also that Australia is number one overall (e.g. here, here, here).

By the way, critical mass has inspired me to add a new label for China in Africa.

Update: OK, on second thought... how is "aid" defined here? If narrowly, then perhaps I buy that Chinese aid specifically is not targeted toward resource-rich Africa countries... but who's to say where building a road, a railroad, a port, an airport becomes investment rather than aid? Building infrastructure frankly has more economic impact than most other foreign aid anyway, in all likelihood.

Update 2: Speaking of Niger, cannot help but pass on this outstanding haiku:
Another colonel
Thinks it’s his turn to spring clean
The big boss – hi coup!

Infant mortality stat of the day

The bad news is that infant mortality is still far too high, and is highly concentrated: just three countries — India, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo — between them account for 40% of the world’s under-5 deaths.
That is Felix Salmon; the good news is that worldwide, infant mortality fell 28% between 1990 and 2008.