Quote Originally Posted by M-A Lagrange View Post
I would be surprised if that happens ever. The idea that China in Africa is a threat for everybody since it is a threat to US is, IMHO, over rated.
France let Chad sell oil to China without any problems. It is even the french companies who denied the offer in the first place.
What is more interesting is the African wind of change that is now blowing on the China/Africa relations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/18/wo...ber_274912827#!

The basic thinking that former and new colonial powers will take care of Africa security issues is, IMHO, also much over rated on the continent. Africa is adjusting, so should also the observers.
M.A Lagrange,

This is what the former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs said about China:

He argues that China is not seen in Washington as a military or security threat at the moment. But he says there are, what he calls "tripwires" in Africa for the US when it comes to China.

"Have they signed military base agreements? Are they training armies? Have they developed intelligence operations? Once these areas start developing then the US will start worrying," he says.

"The United States will continue to push democracy and capitalism while Chinese authoritarian capitalism is politically challenging. The Chinese are dealing with the [Zimbabwean president] Mugabe's and [Sudanese president] Bashir's of the world, which is a contrarian political model."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11955516

So Western diplomats fear China's rise in Africa - & they will drive the policy thrusts.