Thursday, April 05, 2007
Host: Anna Maria Tremonti
Listen to The Current: 
China/US in Africa
There is some prospecting going on in Africa of late... economic and political exploration by two Super Powers. The United States and China are each independently sussing out their interests there. Some call it an attempt to stabilize the Continent while others say it's simply a scramble for oil and military positioning.
In February, US President George Bush announced that a new command centre would be created in Africa. He said AfriCOM would quote: "enhance our efforts to bring peace and security to the people of Africa and promote our common goals of development, health, education, democracy, and economic growth in Africa."On the very same day President Bush made that announcement, China's President, Hu Jintoa, was in the midst of a 12 day, eight-country tour of Africa. His stated goal - - to vastly expand China's trade relationship with Africa.
And so some analysts warn this renewed attention to Africa - may put the Powers on a collision course, leaving Africa with no real long term benefit. To tell us more about what this might mean for the African Continent - we contacted Salim Lone. He's been following these events and the reaction to them in his column for The Daily Nation in Kenya. He was also a UN spokesman in Iraq in 2003. Salim Lone was in New York.
China/US in Africa – Morrison
Well some analysts see cause for hope in the increased American and Chinese interest in Africa. Steve Morrison is the Director of Africa Program at the US think-tank Center for Strategic and International Studies. He was in Washington D.C.
Listen to The Current: China/US in Africa
Source: CBC, April 05, 2007