The absolute and relative scale of Chinese road-building certainly has a big impact on many African countries. It is quite relaxing to drive on them, especially compared to the classic alternatives at long as there are few drivers on the road earning their wage there...

The biggest differentials in Chinese vs Western investment seems to be the trend in 'boots on the ground'. Western companies tend to sub-contract more while the Chinese do most, apart from the manual labour, in-house. According to persons I have spoken with, this makes often a big difference in outcome.

P.S: Obviously the words of the Chinese FM are not exactly the truth and Chinese activities come at a sometimes high price. We will see in the long run how the scorecard will be.