The China in Africa Podcast   /     China now a major player in the African aid business

Description

The politics of aid in Africa are rapidly changing. The United States and Europe are under considerable political and budgetary pressure to curtail their assistance programs, while China is now emerging as a big player in the development sector on the continent. But don’t expect China to play by the same rules as legacy donors warns longtime aid expert Shantha Bloemen who spent more than 20 years working at UNICEF in Africa and Asia. Shantha joins Eric and Cobus to discuss China’s new aid agenda in Africa and how entire philosophy about aid & development is radically different from that of Western countries and international non-governmental organizations like the World Bank and IMF. Join the discussion. Are you concerned about China’s surging influence in the African aid space or do you think it’s time for a change of mindset in how African recipient countries interact with their donor partners? Let us know what you think. Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject Twitter: @eolander | @stadenesque | @shanthabloemen LinkedIn: Eric Olander | Cobus van Staden | Shanta Bloemen Email: eric@chinaafricaproject.com

Summary

The politics of aid in Africa are rapidly changing. The United States and Europe are under considerable political and budgetary pressure to curtail their assistance programs, while China is now emerging as a big player in the development sector on the continent. But don’t expect China to play by the same rules as legacy donors warns longtime aid expert Shantha Bloemen who spent more than 20 years working at UNICEF in Africa and Asia.