Africa: China's Second Continent.

Africa is growing by leaps and bounds, and in the process, attracting lots of investors. This is the subject of a book by a former New York Times reporter, Howard French, who details how over a million Chinese have found  new home in Africa. Mr.French interviews several Chinese migrants in Africa, and shows how China is making its footprints in Africa. But why exactly is Africa becoming China's second continent?

The burgeoning population in China means that not everyone is benefiting from the tremendous growth story of China. On the other hand, African economies are growing at unprecedented rates and are offering lots of of opportunities to investors. Currently, Africa is home to six of the ten fastest growing economies in the world. What's more, the resource boom in recent years has seen lots of opportunities in the mineral sector, a
sector which traditionally attracts lots of foreign investor interest. More African countries are discovering mineral resources, and this will likely attract even more investors. Couple this with the fact that China is resource hungry and wants to feed its burgeoning population, and you get a sense that China is making a huge foray into Africa.

One more aspect that has often been cited as the reason for Chinese investment in Africa is that it often gives aid without conditions, and the country has done business with both democratic regimes as well as autocratic regimes. It appears then, that China's relationship with Africa is mainly driven by business interests, and as long as Africa can guarantee China a great deal of businesses, then China will still continue to engage in Africa.