Jamaican in Africa

Is China the Next Great Bubble?

Keen observers suggest that China does not possess a sufficient quantity of arable land or water to feed herself, nor does she possess a the quantity of natural resources needed to supply her factories in order to earn the money to purchase the consumer goods her growing middle class is begining to demand.

Here in Africa Chinese engineers, businessmen and technicians are ubiqitous. In tiny out of the way and impoverished countries like the Comoros the Chinese are building roads and developing partnerships that benefit the Chinese comercially, but are essential for these poor nations continued development. In Chad, Kenya and the Congo you see Chinese engineers and diplomats wherever development is taking place.

Africa is a huge continent, rich in under and un-developed natural resources and China is positioning herself to fuel her industries through commercial partnerships obtained with some of the world's most impoverished nations on the African continent.

If China's economy is a bubble that will soon collapse, the ramifications are significant in Africa where China's investments are funding the development of infrastructure (roads, bridges, irrigation projects, airports etc). Any fall in investment will be catostrophic for the poor nations that are depending on these projects to improve living standards and reduce morbidity and mortality rates.

A fall in China's investment in Africa will inevitably lead to food deficits causing more frequent episodes of starvation, epidemics, lower living standards and more pressure on already weak national governments. Let us pray to God in heaven that China's economy remains strong and its ability to assist the poor in Africa remains undeminished.

China, the US and Europe are all that stands between starvation for many millions of people on the African continent. Take away the ability of these regional powers to contribute to Africa's survival and the ensuing suffering and chaos will become acute leading to a cry of despair that humanity has never before wittnessed.