1. China in Africa

Rebels in Sudan capture Chinese workers
More than 20 Chinese road builders have been captured by rebels in Sudan, highlighting the growing risks faced by Chinese companies that have poured billions of dollars and thousands of workers into some of Africa’s most volatile areas. The attack occurred Saturday in Sudan’s South Kordofan — a region rich in oil that abuts the newly established South Sudan— and escalated tensions between the two countries, one largely Muslim, the other dominated by Christians. China has extensive interests, mostly in petroleum production and construction, on both sides of the ill-defined border.
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China to ask South Sudan for help on kidnapped workers: report
China will press South Sudan for help in securing the release of 29 Chinese workers held captive for five days and may appeal to the African Union and other parties to mediate in negotiations, state media reported on Thursday. The construction workers were captured by rebels in the Sudanese border state of South Kordofan last Saturday -- apparently held as pawns in a dispute between Sudan and rebels allied with the newly independent and oil-rich South Sudan.
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Chinese investors eye Djibouti market
The President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh on Wednesday received two large Chinese delegations in the space of 48 hours as the country gears up for Chinese enterprises. Led by Mr. Chi Jianxin, Chief Executive Officer of the China Africa Development (CAD) Fund, the delegates composed of executives of large multinational companies and Chinese senior officials from CAD.
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Zambia-China Trade Zone generates $500m in tax revenue
The Zambia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone (ZCCZ) has generated around $500 million in tax revenue over the last five years, according to a press release from a ceremony held Friday to celebrate the zone's five-year anniversary. Data from the press release showed that the zone has realized $4.35 billion in total sales revenues and created 12,000 jobs for Zambia in the past five years.
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China Workers Abroad Becoming Easy Prey
The capture of 54 Chinese citizens in Egypt and Sudan signals growing concern for China as its economic power expands abroad and it sends more people to work on infrastructure projects in dangerous places overseas. Rebels in Sudan seized 29 Chinese hostages Jan. 28 after they attacked the camp of a Chinese road-building company, and 25 Chinese nationals working at a cement plant in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula were released after being detained yesterday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
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Criticism of China's attempt to recolonise Africa dispelled
Alhaji Mohamed Mumuni, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, on Tuesday discounted criticisms that China was endeavouring to re-colonise Africa with its increased interest in the economies African countries. He explained that China's interest in Africa was a demonstration of strategic partnership, and a symbol of South-South co-operation.
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2. India in Africa

India's Dabur to invest $20 mln in African plants
Dabur India, a maker of personal care and food products, plans to invest about $20 million to build plants in Africa as competition intensifies in its home market. Dabur's international business, which contributes about a third of the company's sales, grew 38 percent in the third-quarter to Dec. 31, excluding acquisitions. The growth was led by its business in Nigeria, where sales rose 33 percent.
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India’s big push for Africa, Indian Ocean strategy
India is giving a big push to its Africa and Indian Ocean strategy even as there appear to be signs of a Chinese reassessment of its approach to Africa. On Wednesday, India will welcome the president of Seychelles James Michel, who, though ostensibly here for the sustainability summit, will hold talks on Indian Ocean security with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Michel's visit comes after reports that China has been given permission to set up a naval base in the island nation.
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As China-built AU centre opens, India focuses on quiet Africa diplomacy
As the glitzy China-built African Union building opened in the Ethiopian capital, India was quietly engaged in intense consultations with delegations from around 25 African countries, including foreign office talks with Ethiopia, to fast-track implementation of key projects agreed at the second India-Africa summit. M. Ganapathy, secretary (west) in India's external affairs ministry and Gurjit Singh, additional secretary (East and South Africa), led the Indian delegation in talks with officials from various African countries.
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Resurgent Ethiopia invites investments from India
Ethiopian Ambassador to India, Gennet Zewide, on Tuesday sought investments in the areas of textiles, leather, healthcare, milk and dairy products, tourism and chemicals to catch up with fastest growing countries such as India and China. Addressing government officials, business leaders and chamber representatives to mark the opening of the Honorary Consulate in Chennai, she said the new office would enable them to attract more Indian businesses and investments in priority sectors such as textile, leather, pharma, chemicals, manufacturing and automobile as these areas were found to be in abundance in Chennai.
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3. In Other Emerging Powers News

Brazil opens 97 million dollar credit to Mozambique
The credit is part of the Ministry of Agrarian Development’s “More Food Programme” and will be supported by technical assistance. The funds will come from the Foreign Trade Board (Camex), and will take the form of concessional loans. The loans will be paid off over seventeen years with a five year grace period, and incur an interest rate of two per cent.
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BRICS trade Ministers to meet ahead of Delhi Summit
The Trade Ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) are likely to meet ahead of the Summit level meeting of BRICS leaders, a senior official of the Ministry has said. India is to host the Summit at the end of March. Addressing a seminar, Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Mr Sudhir Vyas, said that just before the Summit there were also plans to have a financial forum meeting in which the central and development banks will come together.
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BRICS summit to focus on fixing global recession: Govt
Ahead of the fourth BRICS summit of the five emerging powers, India on Tuesday said the reform of the global governance institutions and ways to fix the festering recession will top the agenda when the leaders of India, China, Brazil, Russia and South Africa meet here for talks in March. "How we handle the world financial situation will be on top of the agenda. The summit will be looking at issues related to the global financial crisis in a macro-economic manner," Sudhir Vyas, secretary (economic affairs) in the external affairs ministry, said here ahead of the BRICS summit in New Delhi March 29.
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Indian, Chinese navies unite to tackle piracy
India and China have quietly taken a major step in their military ties, with both sides agreeing to carry out coordinated military activity in international waters. According to Navy sources, India, China and Japan, the three independent patrollers against piracy, have started coordinated patrolling in the piracy infested waters off Horn of Africa to improve efficacy of their operations.
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State of the Nation: Zuma adopts Chinese model
President Jacob Zuma is likely to look East with his State of the Nation address in Cape Town next Thursday. A new focus on infrastructure, similar to the Chinese model of state capitalism, will be the centrepiece.
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4. Blogs, Opinions, Presentations and Publications

AU Optimistic on FOCAC Membership
This year, the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held in China. Recently, Ambassador John Kayode Shinkaiye, Chief of Staff, Bureau of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), shared his thoughts with ChinAfrica reporter Liu Wei on the role that FOCAC has played in strengthening Sino-African relations, at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Africa's New AU Building: How Many Chinese Workers?
I was in Ethiopia in February and November, and both times, it was clear to me that there were a lot of Ethiopian workers on the site. Other construction projects I visited overwhelmingly conformed to the usual pattern of Chinese managers and Ethiopian workers. But if this figure was firm, I wanted to add it to my collection of anecdotes-into-data on Chinese workers in Africa.
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