Noteworthy….

Chinese arms sales are on the uptick. The major markets?: the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. Wonderful.

Can Catholicism help Africa? Africans express their views on the religion's impact.

Just say 'no': China's Ministry of Commerce blocks Coca Cola's proposed acquisition of China Huiyuan Juice Group.

Bringing Sudan's forgotten judiciary back into the picture: a review of Abdullahi Ibrahim's book, Rectifying the Neglect of Sudan's Judiciary

Oh, now this hits close to home: Northwestern professors Jeff Ely and Sandeep Baliga are blogging at http://cheeptalk.wordpress.com. I have fond memories of sitting in Professor Ely's (I can't bring myself to call him Jeff...) microecon class back in the day. Admittedly, his blog appears infinitely more interesting than the course (I'm allowed to say that now, right?)

Running the Sahara

Along with my great love for international development, foreign policy - all things international and political, really - and cheese, is a great passion for running. I have been recovering from a knee injury for the past year or so, but have finally made a (nearly) proper comeback, marked by an incredible 6 mile run I managed yesterday, just as the sun was setting over the horizon. I truly feel as though I have a part of my life back (silly though that may sound!).

In any event, given this passion of mine I every so often I pick up Runner's World, if for no other reason than to bond in solidarity with fellow runners, discover new shoes, running attire, training techniques, etc. In the most recent issue is a full-page advertisement for a documentary that I have yet to see, but which at first glance appears quite fascinating for running and African enthusiasts alike: Running the Sahara. The film is directed by James Moll and is narrated by Matt Damon:


The runners even managed to keep a blog, which can be found here. 

What's happening in Madagascar?

It's all a bit frustrating, really - the fantastic lack of coverage some countries receive. Consider, for instance, Madagascar: a country now sitting on the brink of a coup at best, civil war at worst. The present state of affairs has been unraveling since January, and has until recently (when the Financial Times jumped on board) been covered by only the BBC, the NYTimes (tangentially), and insightful bloggers like Ethan Zuckerman.

I suppose it's fair to say that Malagasy politics don't carry the same far reaching geopolitical implications in the same way those in oh, China, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, the US and other such states do, but they do quite obviously bear heavily on regional stability, which should be reason enough for us to pay attention. Indeed, the risk of yet another destabilized African state is a risk no one should wish to take.

So, what's been happening in Madagascar? In short, a political showdown between President Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina, mayor of the capital city of Antananarivo. Rajoelina is an entrepreneur who manages a television network that has been somewhat of a thorn in the side of the president. Ethan Zuckerman observes:
In December, Rajoelina's network broadcast an interview with Madagascar's former president, who is now in exile in France. President Ravalomanana responded by closing down Rajoelina's station. They mayor accused the president of dictatorial behavior, and call on supporters to protest in Antananarivo.
And protest they did. Well over 100 people have died in anti-government protests. Rajoelina has proclaimed himself in charge of the country's affairs (announcing this during an anti-government rally). The defense minister has resigned. Ravalomanana refuses to. On Sunday Ravalomanana proposed to hold a referendum, saying he would only step down democratically. Rajoelina responded by calling for his arrest. Tanks stormed the presidential palace yesterday. Rajoelina continues to claim none of this is a coup d'etat, but has failed to come up with a better name. The French are involved. African Union and United Nations calls for calm are falling on deaf ears. It's all one big mess.

Update: Ravalomanana is to stand down and hand power to the military (my goodness, so much can happen when one is writing a blog post!). Well, brilliant. This will be another political experiment worth keeping our eyes on. ::sigh::

Iran's Nuclear Ambitions, China's Wisdom

Iran on Saturday announced a $3.2 billion natural gas deal with China, a move which, according to the LA Times, underscores the difficulty of using economic sanctions to pressure Tehran to bow to US demands on its nuclear program: 
Iranian state television quoted a senior government official as saying the deal with a Chinese consortium, announced two days after the Obama administration renewed U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic, would eventually include an unnamed European country as a partner

Under the three-year deal, China will help develop the South Pars field, a sprawling cavity beneath the Persian Gulf seabed that is part of what geologists describe as the world's largest natural gas reservoir.
Sino-Iranian relations date back over many centuries; the Parthians and Sassanids had various contacts with China, and the two lands were further connected via the Silk Road. Today, China's relations with Iran are motivated, I would argue, primarily by China's quest for energy (and vice versa). This is not to discount broader geopolitical strategic interests, but rather to posit the primacy of energy over all other such factors. Iran today is indispensable to China's energy security.

Yet as it continues its ascendance onto the global stage, China must tread carefully and act responsibly on Iran.  John W. Garver, professor at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech observes:
[T]his now-traditional Chinese approach is fast approaching the limits of its utility. By refusing to use China’s immense leverage with Iran to nudge Tehran toward verifying to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Security Council that Iran’s nuclear programs are not in pursuit of nuclear weapons, Beijing is allowing the Persian Gulf to drift toward increased instability that is not in China’s own best interests. The two probable outcomes of the current course of events over the Iran nuclear imbroglio are these. First, war triggered by Israeli pre-emptive attack, with or without U.S. support. Or, second, increased international rivalry via increased Iranian assertiveness once Iran possesses nuclear weapons or the capability to fabricate those in short order. The already wobbling Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty regime would also be further weakened, perhaps fatally by Iranian nuclear weapons capability. None of these outcomes is in China’s interests. Nor the world’s.
I'm not certain of the likelihood of the first option, though the second is quite viable, if not already beginning to materialize. As Dingli Shen further observes, a closer relationship with Tehran has the potential to irritate the US and other Western powers at a time when China truly cares about its global image. Indeed, as China assumes greater presence on the global stage, the international community is scrutinizing its every move, wary of its future direction. The Iran issue may thus be regarded as a test of Beijing's wisdom and its responsibility as a major global power. A test which China's leaders should do well to pass. Personally, I'm not sure that this recent deal does much to help Beijing achieve such an end.

mHealth for Development

mHealth (shorthand for 'mobile health') is a topic about which I admittedly know quite little, yet am beginning to gain interest in through various friends and colleagues active in the field. To the best of my knowledge, at the forefront of mHealth initiatives is the UN Foundation and Vodafone Group Partnership created in October 2005. Together they've recently released a report, mHealth for Development: The Opportunity of Mobile Technology for Healthcare in the Developing World, in which is examined the potential for mobile phones in improving health in the developing world; future health needs in developing countries; and potential roadblocks for sustainable mHealth programs.

Mead Oliver offers a rather critical analysis of the report, addressing some of the pressing questions surrounding mHealth. Perhaps most importantly (at least from my humble perspective) is the question of how to design incentives for truthful data collection by cell phone:
The problem in using cell phones for flu surveillance is that of incentives. How does one induce the general public to accurately report outbreaks of flu? People might under-report for fear that an intervention would be draconian. This fear could be offset with a campaign describing the nature of the intervention and perhaps by rewarding those who report with free cell phone minutes. On the other hand, If one gives away cell phone minutes for reports of flu episodes, people might over-report. The [UN/Vodafone] report suggests that these incorrect reports were entirely due to a misunderstanding based on language, when intentional misreporting in hopes of receiving the promised reward may have instead been the problem.
Despite such persisting challenges, there are presently upwards of 50 active mHealth projects, the majority of which are in sub-Saharan Africa.  Among the most promising of these is Project Masiluleke, a mobile health project started in South Africa in 2008 which uses text messages to reach people in the most remote areas of the country to encourage them to get information and counseling on HIV/AIDS. The project delivers approximately 1 million HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis texts each day to personal cell phones providing contact information for the national AIDS helpline:
Callers to the national helpline can ask questions about HIV, get information about where to get tested and receive counseling.

The project takes advantage of a popular form of texting across Africa, called a "please call me" message, that can be sent for free from a phone even if it is out of pre-paid minutes. The empty characters on the free text are used to convey the health message.

Future phases of the project will allow users to text health questions, if they prefer not to call the line, and will provide an internet portal of information accessible by cell phone for people to learn about HIV. The ultimate goal, says the group, would be to provide free home HIV testing kits that would be supported by mobile counseling, so that people who aren't willing to visit a clinic can find out their status.
For now, much of such mHealth programs appear quite confined to sub-Saharan Africa, with a few projects scattered throughout Latin America and Southeast Asia. It will be most interesting to track the success of these projects to uncover whether they might prove equally successful elsewhere. Jumping the gun a bit, Nokia Research has already begun working with humanitarian agencies in India and psychiatrists in China to identify the potential m-technology might hold for remote populations there.

Take a walk down Jeune Street




Geoff Cameron, a fellow Oxford classmate and friend of mine, has a most wonderful blog in which he examines the intersection between religion, governance and world development. It is written from a Baha'i perspective, offering some most interesting insights into the state of our world today. Please pay him a visit at Jeune Street.

Fallows on the (alleged) end of the Chinese dream

With the economic crisis in full swing, dwindling (Chinese) export figures, heightened unemployment, and a general slowdown in domestic production, scholars and policy makers alike are beginning to wonder whether this may be the end of the Chinese dream as we know it (see, for instance, here and here). In a great analysis piece James Fallows offers his two cents (spoiler: his short answer is no): 
In Beijing, in Shanghai, in Shenzhen, and elsewhere, I’ve recently visited companies that are trying to use the disruption of this moment to enter wholly new markets and do what so few Chinese firms have yet done: make high-tech, high-value products that bring high rewards. In a country as big and chaotic as China, you can find illustrations of any “trend” you want. But in only a few weeks of asking, I found indications of companies that were growing rather than shrinking, and of corporate leaders who were pouring in money based on their belief that now, when competitors are at their weakest and talent and assets could be snapped up cheap, is the time to prepare for their next big advance.

In Shenzhen, north of Hong Kong, I went to see Liam Casey, the Irish entrepreneur I described two years ago as “Mr. China” for his success in matching big, famous foreign companies with small, obscure Chinese factories that can produce brand-name products quickly and well. Casey said that of the top 100 Chinese companies he works with regularly, not one had gone out of business. While many were struggling, some viewed the recession as a chance to move into higher-value work and introduce their own advanced products rather than serving strictly as subcontractors. (Several such items, like new tablet computers and handheld GPS devices, were displayed at the latest Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.)

The importance of China's plummeting export figures

An interesting headline in Wednesday's Bloomberg reads: "China's Investment Surges 26.5% as Exports Plunge." Brushing past China's investment projects for a moment, I was left wondering how significant for China's continued economic growth are the country's recent export woes? Jack Perkowski seems to be wondering the same thing: 
There is no question that China is affected by the global economy, and that the dramatic fall in exports in February is a sign of weak demand in the United States and Europe. But what does a year of soft exports mean for China’s economy and its chances for recovery in 2009? 

For the answer to this question, I turn, as I often do, to Andy Rothman, China Macro Strategist for CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, based in Shanghai. I have known Andy for many years and consider him to be one of the most insightful of the China economists. He combines thoughtful analysis with thorough, on the-ground research. In his latest Sinology report entitled Explaining Optimism, which is available only through CLSA, Andy analyzes the impact of exports on China’s economy.

He begins the discussion with a rhetorical question that he then answers:

Can China grow during a global recession? Yes, because China is a continental economy driven primarily by domestic investment and consumption. Exports are important, but much less so.

How can he make such a statement? Andy points out that about half of all Chinese exports are processed or assembled products where, on average, only 4 percent of the export price represents value created in China. Only that small share contributes to China’s GDP.

By way of illustration, he uses the example of the 30GB video iPod that went on sale in 2005 with a US retail price of $299.

When an iPod leaves China it has a factory cost of $150, but only 5% of that - - $7.50 - - was value created in China, as the high-value components were imported from other Asian countries and just snapped together in China. This is a key reason why economists use net exports (exports minus imports) rather than the gross value of exports to calculate GDP.

In recent years, according to Andy, net exports - - the part of trade that actually contributes to the Chinese economy - - has accounted for only 6 to 8 percent of the country’s GDP.

Andy concludes this portion of his report with a chart showing that the fluctuations in China’s GDP growth since 1990 are not highly correlated to changes in either export or net export growth. Changes in GDP over these years have instead been driven primarily by changes in domestic investment and consumption.

At the beginning of the annual session of China’s legislature last week, Premier Wen Jiabao expressed confidence that the government’s GDP growth target of 8 percent for 2009 would be achieved. At the same time, many independent economists have predicted 2009 growth rates for China as low as 5 percent; the International Monetary Fund has forecasted 6.7 percent; and the World Bank is at 7 percent.

Who will prove to be more right when all is said and done? If Andy’s analysis is correct, Premier Wen’s prediction will carry the day.

Let's hope that Andy - and Wen Jiabo - are right. 

Quick! Eat all the Roquefort you can find!

From Conde Nast Portfolio:

We're just ten short days away from R-Day -- the day at which tariffs on imported Roquefort surge to 300%, and the incomparable French sheep's-milk blue becomes, to all intents and purposes, unavailable in the USA. [...] Isn't repealing this tariff a no-brainer for the food friendly Obama administration? Why hasn't it been done yet? 

Why not, indeed? This tariff likely has me outraged as much as it does the French! One thing you must know about me is that I adore cheese. Especially, especially French cheeses. All the better when they're paired with a glass of red wine. Mmmmm. Is it too early to be thinking about this at 9 o'clock in the morning? Arguably so.


Right, well, what to do in these final - now nine (!) - days before the end of Roquefort as we know it (in America at least - lucky for those reading from elsewhere!)? From the gastronomically brilliant Barefoot Contessa: endive, pear and roquefort salad; filet mignon with roquefort chive sauce; and the most amazing blue cheese soufflé - ever. One can never let a good thing go to waste. 


The end of China's fifteen minutes of fame?

It's not often that I pick up The National Interest, but the cover of the latest issue did well to spark my interest. Next to Andy Warhol's now infamous portrait of Mao is the question: "Are China's Fifteen Minutes Up?" My initial thought was: Are they kidding? My second: Maybe they know something I don't.

The piece is an interesting back and forth between Minxin Pei of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Jonathan Anderson, a senior global emerging economist at UBS. Where Pei argues that China's rapid rise is in the long-term threatened by structural and institutional policy flaws, namely environmental degradation, high socioeconomic inequality and corruption, Anderson discounts the gravity of these factors and instead relies on China's unprecedented growth rate (especially as compared to other Asian "tigers") as an indictor of its future success.

Both Pei and Anderson make some dubious claims (Anderson, for instance, asserts that "there's not much 'state' left in China's state-owned enterprises." Unfortunately, he fails to support this assertion with any hard evidence; likely for good reason), rendering it somewhat difficult to take sides, if that is indeed one's objective (it's a fun little game I like to play with myself when reading through such academic articles...).

If the objective of the piece is to argue for a serious Chinese economic crisis (or to make the claim that China's leaders are "sitting on a ticking time bomb," as Pei does), however, then Pei's argument seemingly falls short. Without discounting their importance, the factors he cites - environmental degradation, shifting demographics (an aging populace, etc.), and corruption - have characterized China throughout its rise. The nature of their recent escalation also does not appear to lead directly to an economic crisis. In the case of the rising wave of social unrest that Pei claims will ultimately lead to crisis, it is important to note (as Anderson does) that this unrest is not a middle class 'rising up' against authoritarian rule, but mostly rural migrants chafing against their plight. This is not to say that such unrest is insignificant, but rather that its consequences are unlikely to lead to the end result Pei imagines. Similar arguments can be made with respect to environmental factors. And government corruption - an old and very broken record, to be sure. 

::Sigh:: I could go on with this forever. But I won't. I may just write an article. Now there's an idea! In any event, the piece is quite interesting and certainly worth a read. I'm not really sure that it answers the question of whether China's fifteen minutes of fame are up (I would personally argue that they are not), but it does provide interesting food for thought. Go read.

The economic crisis and low income countries

The IMF released a new paper summarizing the effects of the global economic crisis on the world's 78 low income countries - many of them in sub-Saharan Africa. Among its key findings:
LICs are exposed to the current global downturn more than in previous episodes, as they are more integrated than before with the world economy through trade, FDI, and remittances. The crisis significantly impacts these countries through reduced demand for their exports. Since many are commodity exporters, they will be hard hit by the sharp decline in demand for commodities and in their prices. Many LICs are also hit by lower remittances and foreign direct investment (FDI) while aid flows are under threat. Growth of remittances was flat in the second half of 2008, and is expected to be negative in 2009. A sharp slowdown in FDI is expected in about half of all LICs. Prospects for higher aid to offset these effects are particularly uncertain, given budgetary pressures faced by many donor countries.

LICs’ financial systems have so far not been strongly affected by the global crisis. Their banks have little, if any, exposure to complex financial instruments. However, those LICs that had begun to access international financial markets have seen this access come virtually to an end. Foreign lenders may become more reluctant or unable to roll over sovereign and private debt falling due. Domestic banks may be hit by second-round effects, as the economic downturn increases the number of borrowers unable to repay their loans.

The global financial crisis will worsen the budgetary position of many LIC governments. Government revenues are expected to suffer as economic activity slows and commodity prices fall. Potential declines in donor support and tighter financing conditions will likely impose further pressures on LICs’ budgets. At the same time, many countries will need to increase spending to protect the poor, and additional spending pressures may arise from currency depreciation and rising interest rates, which could raise debt service costs.

There is a risk that the impact on LICs could be more serious—26 countries appear particularly vulnerable to the unfolding crisis. These include countries heavily dependent on commodity exports, such as oil exporters, as well as fragile states with little room for maneuver. Baseline projections for 2009 foresee a total balance of payments shock of US$165 billion. They also suggest that LICs may need at least US$25 billion to offset the impact of the shock on their international reserves; given the heavy downside risks to the forecast, the needs could be much larger—approaching US$140 billion in a “bad case” scenario.

[...] Given the economic downturn, efforts to strengthen safety net programs to protect the poor become more urgent. Transfer programs that effectively target the poorest often result in a larger stimulus to aggregate demand, given their higher propensity to consume. The capacity of many LICs to put in place new targeted programs will be limited in the near term. There may be scope, however, to scale up existing spending programs in targeted ways. For example, countries can implement public works programs and/or provide income supplements through existing programs. Additional resources can be channeled to targeted programs, such as targeted food distribution or school meal programs.

Countries should focus on macroeconomic stability. In some countries with falling inflation there may be scope for monetary easing; others, however, still experience continued or renewed price pressures. Those with flexible exchange rates should allow them to move, so that they function as shock absorbers. Fixed exchange rate regimes may come under particular pressure owing to the adverse direct impact of the crisis. Steps are also needed to prevent the global financial crisis from spreading to their domestic financial sectors.

My present state of affairs....




















I used to read PhD Comics religiously - well before I decided to embark upon the PhD route (more on that later!). It thus only seems appropriate that I pull up this comic up for old time's sake. If anyone has any suggestions for PhD funding, please send them my way. Options that might allow me to retain my soul (or avoid wearing jumpsuits and other bizarre contraptions) are highly preferred... 

Don't roll up those "Free Tibet" flags just yet....

Unless you've been living under a rock these past few weeks, the Chinese crackdown on Tibetans is yesterday's news. The security hike came ahead of yesterday's 50th anniversary of a failed anti-Beijing revolt in Lhasa that led to the Dalai Lama fleeing to exile in India. Police roadblocks and checkpoints were implemented, journalists have been granted limited access at best, and even some monasteries have been sealed off.

While on the one hand it makes sense for the Chinese to try to prevent violent protests similar to those which occurred last year, they may be taking things a touch too far. According to scholars at Human Rights Watch, China may be using the opportunity as an excuse to push its Tibetan policies (which are effectively tantamount to the "One China" policy. Shock horror). Just a few days ago, Beijing released a white paper entitled "Fifty Years of Democratic Reform in Tibet," in which the 1959 takeover of the Tibetan government by the CCP is hailed as one of the greatest moments in the anti-slavery struggle, on equal footing with the American Civil War. It may just be a hunch, but I think one would be hard pressed to find even a handful of Tibetans who would describe the event that way. Just a guess. 

The crackdown has also heightened tensions with the United States. On Monday the House began considering a bill urging China to respect human rights in Tibet. Bear in mind that this comes on the coattails of Clinton's Beijing visit in February, during which she made clear that human rights "cannot interfere" with economic and diplomatic priorities. That statement + the recent skirmish between US and Chinese naval ships + Chinese actions in Tibet = very interesting times, indeed.

Turkey's African adventure

Back in the summer of 2008 I mused over Turkey's heightened interest in the African continent - Chinese style, if you will. It would appear that this interest has only bourgeoned in the face of the global economic crisis, with Africa quickly becoming somewhat of a playground for Turkish investors. From Global Post:
Historically, the Ottoman Empire had considerable relations with Africa — aided by the fact that African states such as Egypt, Libya, Algeria and Sudan were totally or partially subject to Ottoman rule. With the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923, however, contact between Turkey and Africa all but broke off

Over the past decade and a half, Turkish policymakers have carefully shaped an African dimension to Turkey’s foreign policy that is increasingly involved in a dizzying range of sectors from trade to transport, health to humanitarian aid.

Turkey has made inroads into Africa’s transport sector with scheduled flights of flagship carrier Turkish Airlines to regional hubs of Addis Ababa, Khartoum, Lagos, Johannesburg and, most recently, Nairobi.

Ankara also plans to venture into Africa’s maritime sector, with investment in key facilities such as the Port of Mombasa.

Last month, Abdullah Gul visited Kenya and Tanzania — becoming the first Turkish president to pay an official visit to these sub-Saharan nations — to expand Turkey's relations with the two. During his trip Gul pointed out that all but two African countries had supported Turkey's candidacy in 2008 for a two-year, nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Paul Collier blogging

I've just returned home after a whirlwind trip to London and my beloved alma mater. The trip was partly pleasure with a dash of business: some important life decisions have been made, which I will be thrilled to share with you in due course. For the moment, I am merely trying to parry jet lag (why is it always more difficult going from east to west than it is from west to east?) and catch myself up on all the blog-worthy news stories I missed during my absence. 

I suppose that I should first mention that I attended a lecture given by Paul Collier last week. The event took place in among my favorite bookshops in the world (no exaggeration) - Blackwell's on Broad Street- and was on the topic of Collier's latest book, Wars, Guns and Votes: Democracy in Dangerous Places. In effect the book reads like a sequel to the Bottom Billion. It's main premise is that the spread of democracy after the Cold War has not actually made the world a safer place, and has even adversely affected the "bottom billion" countries. Collier argues that the international community focuses too much on holding elections, rather than broadening systems of accountability, and makes the case for more and longer peacekeeping missions as a potential international 'solution' (broadly defined) to the problem. Two of my colleagues conducted an interview with Collier for the recent issue of the Oxonian Review, which can be found here.

Collier has also entered the blogosphere. His Bottom Billion Blog is in its early inception yet, but holds great promise for raising interesting questions and stirring worthwhile debate.

Chinese views of the economic crisis

From Gideon Rachman:

I have just spent a fascinating couple of days, closeted with some Chinese academics in a house outside Paris, at a seminar organised by Sweden’s “Glasshouse Forum“.

Several of the assembled profs were members of China’s “new left” - people like Zhiyuan Cui, an economist from Tsinghua University and Shaoguang Wang of Hong Kong university. I was surprised by how confident they seemed. The consensus seemed to be that China would weather the global economic crisis better than most - and that the Chinese political system is sufficiently robust to withstand higher unemployment and slower growth. One of the participants pointed out that in the late 1990s, 60m Chinese people had been thrown out of work in the aftermath of the Asian economic crisis and the restructuring of China’s state-owned enterprises. But the country’s long-term trajectory remained ever upwards.

Another participant joked that China had discovered that whatever country it models itself on is doomed. In the 1950s China had modelled itself on the Soviet Union; in the 1980s there was a fashion for imitiating Japan; and more recently, there has been a fascination  with American capitalism.

Touché. But (seemingly? possibly? maybe?) true. As Rachman observes, the joke contains a broader insight: while Western analysts continue to examine China's economics and politics in terms of how much they are becoming like us, the Chinese claim that they are finding their own way to modernity. And despite minor (and major) glitches, they appear to be doing a pretty good job.

Can you please define 'win-win?'

Chinese officials constantly refer to their relations with African states as "win-win," implying some sort of profound reciprocity and mutual (economic, social) benefit (another favored catch phrase). While some Chinese firms in Africa certainly do serve to benefit the local economies, particularly insofar as infrastructure and (limited) employment are concerned, the catch is that they are in Africa. You don't hear much about African firms in China or an influx of African goods into the Chinese market, save with few exceptions (i.e. most recently Ugandan coffee).

It appears that times are growing to be even more difficult for African entrepreneurs seeking to make a profit in China. The most recent hurdle is a visa crackdown imposed by the Chinese government which has not only rendered doing business complicated, but has brought Guangzhou's Chocolate City - China's largest African population - to a breaking point:
The country’s faltering economy is putting the squeeze on “Little Africa,” or “Chocolate City,” as locals call it. Numbers are down and business is suffering. All-important visas are being denied or granted only for the short term. Africans who allow their visas to expire — and many do — are often imprisoned and forced to pay a hefty fine.

In January, the Chinese government announced a crackdown on foreigners living illegally in Guangzhou, and, according to interviews with more than two dozen Africans working in the city, the community is facing increased persecution at the hands of police.
Wonderful. So while Chinese entrepreneurs make money in Africa, Africans must seemingly bend over backwards and jump countless hurdles to do the same in China. Win-win? Really?