By Rafe Mair
''We live in the same dream world our forefathers did - in utter denial of what history teaches us. China now has investments from small to very large in over 25 African states and apart from the odd “gracious me!” this fact is simply taken as something no one can do anything about.
Now to the meat of the matter. China, for all its apparent prosperity is in economic doo-doo. It can’t afford to call in its biggest loans because she would be shooting herself in the foot, big time. Thus her investments in other parts of the world must be made safe and sound.
The trouble is, far from being safe and sound, these investments are in very unstable countries to say the least.
For example, the split in Sudan with one side getting most of the oil leaves great unrest likely if not certain. What does China do if its investments are placed in such jeopardy that she must find a way to get warring factors to back off their bloodbaths? That problem, through the years has not been easily – or peacefully – solved.
China has, it seems to me, only one option – gunboat diplomacy followed with force.''
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