China rivalled US for aid to Africa since 2000
China committed more than US$75 billion to Africa in the past decade, coming close to the level of US money although the nature of Beijing's support was far different, a study said.
China committed more than US$75 billion to Africa in the past decade, coming close to the level of US money although the nature of Beijing's support was far different, a study said.
The report found that China committed US$75.4 billion to Africa from 2000-11 - just under the US$90 billion by the United States - and representing about one-fifth of the total from all major donor nations.
But the researchers said that only around US$1.1 billion a year from China was official development assistance as defined by the club of major donors under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The most Chinese money went to debt relief, followed by transport and storage projects and agriculture.
Items ranged from a defence college in Zimbabwe, whose leader Robert Mugabe is a pariah in the West, to an opera house in Algeria. Ghana was the top recipient, although Beijing gave widely across the continent - except to countries that recognise Taiwan.
