Beijing Invites US to Link Up Over Africa

As the United States hosts the first ever summit of nearly 50 African heads of states and governments in a bid to regain influence in the continent China has invited the United States to cooperate in developing Africa with more finance and infrastructure, writes Geoff Dyer for the Financial Times. Both countries have shown a desire in recent years to invest in the poor continent that is one of the world’s fastest growing regions. The invitation – specifically to develop a $12 billion hydroelectric dam project known as Inga-3 in the Democratic Republic of Congo – signals a desire on China’s part to lead in more multilateral development ventures and also avoid criticism about self-serving projects in pursuit of natural resources. Three consortiums from China, South Korea and Spain have expressed a willingness to bid on the project. The US Congress has barred its representatives at the World Bank from supporting construction of large dams, which can impose unintended consequences or ignite “geostrategic rivalries,” Dyer reports. China and the United States have also discussed the possibility of cooperation on other projects in Pakistan or Nepal. – YaleGlobal