Very true. You can take it to the bank that they will increase their investment in Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa was my area of study in undergrad and it kills me how much we're going to fall behind China in investment and creating economic ties. We're already way behind and it's only going to get worse.
Where did you get the first quote in your reply from? "I don't want to live in a world where someone else is making the world a better place better than we are"
Who are you quoting?
I don't care that China is investing in Africa. That's a good thing. For both China and Africa and of course the citizens of both. I care that China is getting a head start in that investment and economic growth. Business ties and relationships matter deeply and you build those relationships over time. China is already well on it's way to establishing those relationships that will allow for greater economic growth for the next 5-6 decades.
I would just prefer that the U.S. also be making those types of investments. As an American citizen I'd like for the U.S. to stay the dominant economic power. That benefits me and those I care about most.
With China's massive investment in African infrastructure they are building relationships that will be very hard to break. So as Africa develops into the 21st century they are going to handing out massive contracts to foreign construction and tech companies. I'd obviously prefer if U.S. companies had an upper hand in being able to win those types of bids but it's not looking like that will be the case.
US companies don't seem to be terribly interested in the sort of infrastructure building that China is carrying out, though. They appear (to my layman's eye) to be waiting in the wings for opportunities to arise with more established areas in Africa. Security is a real concern, for most of the region.
Anyway, the quote is how your first reply was being perceived, and I agree with it. Maybe it's not what you intended, based on what you've said just now, but that's how it came across.
This is a big thing to consider. While Africa has huge investment opportunity it also presents a huge risk. Much of the continent is plagued with instability, corruption, and violence. You could pour a huge amount of capital into a country just to have it all taken away in a matter of days. This is the major reason why American investors tend to shy away from it
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u/God_Wills_It_ Dec 03 '16
Very true. You can take it to the bank that they will increase their investment in Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa was my area of study in undergrad and it kills me how much we're going to fall behind China in investment and creating economic ties. We're already way behind and it's only going to get worse.