Beschreibung:
Recent years have witnessed the growing diplomatic and economic presence of China in Africa. From the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and state policies designed to strengthen diplomatic, cultural and economic relations with African nations, to the rapid growth in Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) and bilateral trade, this relationship is likely to continue playing a defining role in African economies. These trends present important opportunities for African nations who see this relationship as an opportunity to catalyse much needed investments in infrastructure and industry, and to stimulate job creation and exports. At the same time, however, it has raised concerns with civil society and traditional development partners alike - who question whether the lack of transparency or conditionality in lending will undermine long-term development through increased indebtedness, imported labour, competition with African goods or through resource depletion or by slowing advances in governance. This report, and the project in which it is embedded, sheds light on this debate. It presents a comparative analysis of patterns of investment, trade and aid with Chinese and other 'development partners' and their social, economic and environmental implications in key sectors shaping African forests (agriculture, forestry and mining). Towards this goal, this report explores the diplomatic and economic relations between China and Mozambique - including key patterns of Sino-Mozambican trade and investment in sectors of interest. The report provides a means of identifying trends of importance to forests and exploring key themes for future research. Portions of this report are already published ...