page_title: Africa–China economic relations
section_title: Industrial era (1800 to 1949)
hierarchical_section_title: Africa–China economic relations / History of Sino-African relations / Industrial era (1800 to 1949)
caption_attribution_description: English: Jean Ping, cropped from photo: 080202-F-1644L-081 Newly elected Chairperson of the African Union Commission Gabonese Foreign Minister Jean Ping speaks at the African Union Summit during the closing ceremony of the 10th Ordinary Session of the Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Feb. 2, 2008. The purpose of the African Union is secure Africa's democracy and human rights and to create a stable economy by ending intra-African conflict and creating an effective common market. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Lock) (Released) 中文: 让·平
context_page_description: Economic relations between China and Africa, one part of more general Africa–China relations, began in the 7th century and continue through the present day. Nowadays, China seeks resources for its growing consumption, and African countries seek funds to develop their infrastructures.
  Large-scale structural projects, often accompanied by a soft loan, are proposed to African countries rich in natural resources. China commonly funds the construction of infrastructure such as roads and railroads, dams, ports, and airports. Sometimes, Chinese state-owned firms build large-scale infrastructure in African countries in exchange for access to minerals or hydrocarbons, such as oil. In those resource-for-infrastructure contracts, countries in Africa use those minerals and hydrocarbons directly as a way to pay for the infrastructure built by Chinese firms.
  While relations are mainly conducted through diplomacy and trade, military support via the provision of arms and other equipment is also a major component.
  In the diplomatic and economic rush into Africa, the United States, France, and the UK are China's main competitors.
context_section_description: A new era of Chinese trade began in the industrial era. European colonization of Africa and the abolition of slavery in France caused major workforce shortages in European colonies. Europe looked for a way to fill the gap with low-cost workers from abroad, namely India and China. Beginning in the 1880s, tens of thousands of Chinese Coolies were sent overseas to work in the mines, railroads, and plantations of the colonial powers. The exploitation of inland resources, such as copper mines, also led to the presence of relatively large, isolated Chinese populations in landlocked countries such as Zambia. Jean Ping, the minister of Foreign Affairs of Gabon, who presided the UN Assembly, was born from an African mother and a Chinese father in Gabon, a country where almost no Chinese were present.
caption: Jean Ping, 2008, example of Sino-African descendants. His Chinese father came from France in 1930 and became a successful businessman in Gabon, his mother being a local princess.[12]
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