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Contest of the Titans: China and the US in Africa [chart]

images.fastcompany.com — Graph showing the skyrocketing and increasingly fierce competition between the PRC and USA for African trade. Something that has largely gone unnoticed by the world at large, but will exert a profound effect on the economics and geopolitics of the 21st century.

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  • reflex768, on 07/05/2008, -0/+16If interested further, this chart is taken from a lengthy six part commentary by Richard Behar on Chinese diplomatic and economic activity in Africa from the June issue of FastCompany. Part 1 starts here, additional parts linked therein:
    http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/126/special-re ...
    • wphj, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Does that explain what the ***** happened in 2002?
    • QuadZeroRoute, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1The poster should have also included the benefits that the US gives to Africa. It is in the billions, along with AIDS support, which is the highest it has ever been under George Bush. There is NO comparison....in fact I bet China does not give to Africa one one-one hundredth of what the United States gives.

      http://www.usaid.gov/locations/sub-saharan_africa/
    • DuffyDirect, on 07/06/2008, -1/+1fast company is such a bad magazine, do you read it regularly?
    • jaythewise, on 07/06/2008, -0/+0Lots of errors in the article that the chart is from:

      "Africa is one of the only places in the world where so many resources are still up for grabs. It holds 90% of the world's cobalt, 90% of its platinum, 50% of its gold, 98% of its chromium, 64% of its manganese, and one-third of its uranium. Its forests are still considered the most pristine in the world. It is rich in diamonds, has more oil reserves than North America, and is estimated to have 40% of the world's potential hydroelectric power. It already supplies a third of the oil fueling China's economic boom. "

      Wrong, he is forgetting Alberta in the oil department....

      I dont know where he is getting his info on uranium

      http://world-nuclear.org/info/inf75.html


      Or cobalt:

      http://www.mapsofworld.com/minerals/world-cobalt-p ...


      This guy should be backing up his claims. Tough to take him seriously when he is making so many mistakes so its tough to take the chart seriously. Took me 2 mins to look this up.
  • seabass341, on 07/05/2008, -6/+14OH SHI-
    • Dylson, on 07/05/2008, -4/+10*****!!!!!! Why do people sensor themselves on the internet!?! It pisses me the ***** off!
    • adeadwaffle, on 07/05/2008, -0/+7He didn't censor himself he had just said candlejack and now he'
    • nycmac247, on 07/06/2008, -1/+1"***** or get of the pot!"
      (but not that kind of pot)
    • RoflCoptah, on 07/06/2008, -1/+3but we're still winning!
      AMERICA, ***** YEA!
    • Halsfield, on 07/06/2008, -1/+1family guy did it better.

      No one messes with Adam We!

  • Mist0r_Wiggles, on 07/05/2008, -6/+40considering they have 1 billion more people than we do, it's actually "underwhelming".
    • asdffdas1234, on 07/06/2008, -6/+3> considering they have 1 billion more people than we do, it's actually "underwhelming".

      Couldn't the same be said about most #1 us achievements, just due to highest western population?
      • KJSatz, on 07/06/2008, -1/+6Trade quantity is different than an "achievement."
    • Kvasaari, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3Considering China is still a develping country, they're doing pretty well IMO.
  • Garric, on 07/05/2008, -22/+0This is exactly why we need Obama to stop this nonsense and bring change to this broken system.
    • Gav0510, on 07/05/2008, -0/+15Look, I'm an Obama supporter, but what the ***** does that comment even mean?! What's so nonsensical about that graph?
    • diggrnumber1, on 07/05/2008, -4/+4obama no longer represents change. he wants to extend bush's faith-based initiatives and is second-guessing his opposition to staying in iraq. seems like he's just planning to uphold the status quo and politics as usual.
  • stellarceltic, on 07/05/2008, -3/+13And is it really a "dead heat" as the graph suggests? It looks like the US has a $10bil advantage.
    • MadOgre, on 07/05/2008, -6/+13The cost of what, half of an F-22 Raptor?
      • masamunecyrus, on 07/06/2008, -0/+4Actually, around 100x the cost of an F-22 Raptor.

        (1x F-22 Raptor =~ US$137.5 million)
    • thorseth, on 07/06/2008, -2/+1I would think that the yellow area is the net US trade and the red area is the chines. So no advantage there...
  • GaynEmo, on 07/05/2008, -16/+3China will take over the world by 2010
    • Hangly, on 07/05/2008, -0/+5Just two years?
    • poidh, on 07/05/2008, -0/+3Let's hope not, unless you want to be arrested for searching for the "wrong" thing on the internet, etc.
    • enderwigin, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1No, it will take till 2012.
    • skcoder, on 07/06/2008, -0/+4O RRY?
    • akamurph, on 07/06/2008, -1/+1China will take over the world by 2007
  • Stormwern, on 07/05/2008, -1/+25How much of that trade is weapons in, food and natural resources out..
    • lbdinh, on 07/05/2008, -0/+7diamonds...
    • aznpwnzor, on 07/05/2008, -3/+5slave trade...
    • thorseth, on 07/06/2008, -0/+6oil...
    • mriegger, on 07/06/2008, -0/+4spam...
    • KMartSheriff, on 07/06/2008, -0/+7a word followed by 3 dots...
    • coreman, on 07/06/2008, -3/+2Or, better, what is the value-add from this "trade" that China and the US are extracting from Africa? What would it look like broken down into certain categories, like:
      o Precious Metals (Gold, Silver) & Gemstones
      o Ferrous and non-ferrous ores (i.e., copper, tin, etc)
      o Rare-earth Metals
      o Oil & Natural Gas
      o Intellectual Property exchange
      o Exports to Africa (maybe break out by Mediterranian countries, South Africa, and the rest of the countries)?




  • Ransack, on 07/05/2008, -3/+32Glad to see all those billions doing so much good in Africa.... o.O
    • Disneyisevil50, on 07/06/2008, -1/+2What's it like not understanding basic economics?
  • gregdogum, on 07/05/2008, -0/+21So what exactly are the Chinese and Americans trading with Africa? (I hate to sound naive, but it is an honest question)
    • aenegeling, on 07/05/2008, -0/+20The Chinese Governmnet mainly wants oil I believe.
      And the regimes they are trading with in Africa want guns. Chinese guns.

      http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5086416.st ...
      • dondara, on 07/05/2008, -0/+9Yeah, just what Africa needs, more guns.
    • diggrnumber1, on 07/05/2008, -0/+12diamonds, guns, oil, gold, various metals, coal, numerous natural resources, etc. South Africa, for example, is the world capital of mining. and Nigeria and algeria have a lot of oil (they are both members of opec).
      • budgeysmuggler, on 07/06/2008, -0/+4Sad state of affairs when a continent as rich in resources as Africa has most of its population in abject poverty.
    • mooseontheloose, on 07/06/2008, -0/+7Tons and tons of natural resources. I worked with a mining company in Africa. Chinese companies are EVERYWHERE. America (and the West) is missing the boat big time. China is very popular in Africa, while the West is negatively regarded.
    • gtluke, on 07/06/2008, -2/+1as china modernizes, africa will be the next china.
    • amenhotep, on 07/11/2008, -0/+1For thoese who blame China for buying resources, what would you think the US is buying from Africa? Computers?
  • PUNJABISINGH, on 07/05/2008, -13/+12USA USA USA!!!!
    • enderwigin, on 07/06/2008, -1/+9America ***** YA!

      (United States of Asskicking)

      PS. I am joking but I do honestly hope china dose not overtake the US as the most powerful nation in the world. Thing would get real bad real fast.
      • 4rp4n3t, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Riiiight. Because Amerika does *such* a great job of policing the world right now, and for all the right reasons...
  • samyoungguitar, on 07/05/2008, -9/+5We're probably trading the same amount of goods only our dollar is so weak it's costing more.
    • diggrnumber1, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1doesn't account for all of this. china's growth and trade liberalization is mostly responsible.
    • scy1192, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2China's trade is also mesured in USD in this graph.
    • samyoungguitar, on 07/06/2008, -1/+1so we're trading at the same, that's what I said. ***** is just costing way more. Put China's graph in RMB and it would be lower. We're spending more to get the same.
  • Hangly, on 07/05/2008, -0/+10America plays chess, China plays wei-chi.
  • MadOgre, on 07/05/2008, -1/+12We need to keep South Africa on our side. Diamond mines. Gold mines. Oil. We need to keep most of Africa actually. I'm not done hunting it.
  • alexanEmpire, on 07/05/2008, -15/+10Any by Africa's riches they mean AIDS and the massive amount of civil unrest, right?
  • rald84, on 07/05/2008, -11/+2but does china have BARACK OBAMA?? i didn't think so.
    • boombye, on 07/05/2008, -1/+3Hi, I'm an Obama supporter. I have to ask you: What the hell does that have to do with anything?
  • Hangly, on 07/05/2008, -0/+13This it interesting. Usually by the late game either Mansa has eliminated Egypt and split Africa exactly in half between himself and Shaka, or Shaka eliminated Egypt first and has either eliminated Mansa as well or made him into a vassal.
    You don't usually see China with a strong presence there. (China usually takes Australia instead.)
  • kookbutt, on 07/05/2008, -3/+3So, they will probably kill most of their population if they don't get control of their pollution. Same with the U.S. Potable water will become a scarce resource in the very near future and most people are oblivious of the battle that is taking place in the U.S. over water rights and how private corporations are buying up U.S. water rights at quickly as they can. Water is more valuable than oil.
  • poidh, on 07/05/2008, -4/+6Let's hope for humanity's sake that the Chinese government don't win this "contest".
    • 4rp4n3t, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Oh, the humanity! Of course, America has no track record at *all* when it comes to illegally imprisoning and torturing suspected dissidents...
  • kinerry, on 07/05/2008, -1/+6SKYROCKETING APETITIE? ***** YOU CHART!
  • aznpwnzor, on 07/05/2008, -0/+2This is actually reassuring seeing that they have more students in "gifted" programs than we have people.
  • DestroyFascism, on 07/05/2008, -1/+4China has nothing to do with nothing at all in the Sudan. Chinese communist party spokesperson.
  • bhussobama, on 07/05/2008, -0/+0I wonder what a graph of total world trade during the same period looks like? This could just be nothing.
    • fuzzybeard, on 07/06/2008, -1/+1There are three kinds of lies: Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics.
  • andretii, on 07/05/2008, -1/+1r we stealing it or paying money for it?
    • asdffdas1234, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1> r we stealing it or paying money for it?

      Little of both. Underpaying and exploiting cheap labor, but 'competion' from China might actually benefit Africa the most.
  • sumgi, on 07/05/2008, -1/+3I don't know why you're digging down samy, he's absolutely right that we are not buying all that much more from Africa but the value of our dollar has dropped significantly since 2001.

    Here is the price of gold over the past 10 years, notice that it follows the same trend as the price of goods from Africa.
    http://www.kitco.com/charts/popup/au3650nyb.html

    You will also notice on the graph representing total U.S. and Chinese Trade with Africa that both lines fluctuate at the same time, some of this is due to events in Africa causing prices to go up or down but it is also due to the fact that the Chinese currency is pegged to the U.S. dollar. If the dollar looses value and the price of goods go up for the U.S. then the same thing happens for the Chinese.
  • Ryan0617, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2Anyone know why such a surge since 2002 from both nations?
    • fuzzybeard, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Maybe an increased demand for rare-earth metals like molybdenum on the part of China?
  • sidewinderaim9x, on 07/06/2008, -1/+2Neck-and-neck? China's dominating.
    • crunchyeyeball, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3I must admit, that was my first reaction too, but I think it's just the ambiguous way the graph was drawn.

      At first glance (at least to me), it suggests that the US is just the visible yellow section and China is the red section, which implies that e.g., for 2007, China invested ~70Bn, and the US ~10Bn, for a combined total of about 80Bn.

      Only after noticing the text suggesting the countries were "neck-and-neck" can you tell that it's meant to be read as an ordinary line graph.
  • asdffdas1234, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3While $10bil may sound like a lot. It's really just under 15% difference and closing quickly.
  • rz8472, on 07/06/2008, -1/+1I'm actually a bit impressed that the US is doing anything. From watching the news here it's like they don't even exist.

    In any case, whoever came up with the idea of getting Sudan to sell its oil to China, and then using 80% of those oil profits to buy military and 'dual-use' hardware that would inevitably be used to exterminate people in Darfur is a genius. An incredibly evil genius, but one nonetheless.
  • enderwigin, on 07/06/2008, -0/+4I have the up most respect for the Chines people but not their government. Any country who has as poor a track record in the human rights as China will not be responsible with the power that they have earned. This is not to say my nation, The United States of America, is currently doing a good job at cooperating with other nations for the good of both peoples, this is to say that China will do worse. I base this statement on how they historically dealt with their neighboring countries including Tibet, Taiwan, Russia and India. I believe that if China takes the US's place as the most powerful nation on this small rock we call home, we, and that meas all of us, will be in bad shape. May the best peoples win.

    -Ender Wigin
    • effingham, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1utmost
      Chinese
    • angilinmago, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1"how they historically dealt with their neighboring countries including Tibet, Taiwan, Russia and India .......May the best peoples win"

      Learn a little bit about Chinese history before making such insulting accusation, and what do you mean by the best people, you Americans? Are you suggesting you people are naturally more superior than the rest of us?
      • enderwigin, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1I am sorry I offended you, my statement "May the best peoples win." was just that a statement. I meant it in the sense of "May the best man/fighter/contestant/player win." What I probably should have written is "May whom ever deserves victory the most, whether that be the Chinese or the Americans, receive it." I am of course in favor of the United States, as it is my country, earning its way back to top, just as you in favor of China, as I assume it is your country, earning its way to the top. What is most important is not who the most power full country in the world is but whether or not the world is a better place because of it. Is it wrong of me to think that my country is best suited for the job, no because you undoubtedly believe that your country whatever it may be, I assume it is China but I do not know, is better suited for the role.

        -Ender Wigin

        PS. If you would like to continue this discussion please let me know and I will give you my email.
    • jtbauki, on 07/06/2008, -0/+0China tells their people to "Do what we say" and doesn't interfere with the rest of the world (for the most part). USA tells the rest of the world to "Do what we say" and doesn't interfere with their people (for the most part).

      You're delusional if you think USA is doing a good job with the rest of the world. I'd rather have China, not as a the sole superpower, but as a counterbalance to the US along with Europe.
    • antonycao, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Chinese fled to Taiwan Island and established their own set of government. So "Taiwanese" used to dream about coming back to the mainland.
      Taiwan is not a country in that sense.

      About Tibet, the history winds back to thousands of years. You excerpt maybe 40 years of it and whatever based on it is too shallow for me. Even Dalai Lama himself used to work for the Chinese government and now he's against it because he's got kicked out.

      Contact me so I can give you my email too.
      TC.
    • 4rp4n3t, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1"I base this statement on how they historically dealt with their neighboring countries including Tibet, Taiwan, Russia and India."

      Spoken like a true patriot - a patriot who knows nothing of America's own history of human rights atrocities, unjustifiable wars, murder and mayhem.
  • HubbertWins, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2I would imagine most of that increase since 2002 is just from the price of oil. Nigeria is a big time oil producer.
  • matero5009, on 07/06/2008, -3/+1look at the drop in the 80s...do you think it could be because of AIDS

    ..and how we might have been scared of it because we didn't know what it was or how it was contracted
    • saigumi, on 07/06/2008, -2/+1Haha.... actually, I think it is because all the famous black people were heading back there instead of buying stuff from there. Or, at least, that was what they were saying they were going to do. I don't know if anyone actually did.
  • xanadu2113, on 07/06/2008, -3/+4free tibet
    • Fubarepublic, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1This is the part where the Chinese national steps in a states that Tibet is free, China is thier friend, we have been good for Tibet.

      What the Chinese national does not want to hear is that Tibet does not want to be ruled by China which is Independence, a fair thing to ask for. But Chinese national will fail to see that and will fail to understand "freedom" is exactly that.
    • 4rp4n3t, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1...with every Happy Meal...
  • skcoder, on 07/06/2008, -3/+4Half of Africa's population is going to be wiped out in the next 10-15 years unless scientists are able to find a very cheap cure for aids in the near future.
  • newanalog, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Contest of the Titans huh? Is that anything like Indiana Jones and the Final Crusade?
  • cowguin, on 07/06/2008, -2/+4Um US owes China trillions of dollars, so how can there be a contest for anything between them.
    • Fubarepublic, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Oh we can just print more money and have the Taxpayer pledge to pay it back.....
    • korvan504521, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1more fool them for lending it to us. when the homeowner declares bankrupcy, who hurts more, him or the bank?
  • AmericanGunner, on 07/06/2008, -0/+4....and this is suppose to matter how?
  • nycmac247, on 07/06/2008, -5/+2The US will "lose" b/c we are distracted by perpetual war and our infrastructure is crumbling.
    That and b/c when Chinese students come here to study they don't sit around on their fat asses and just drink and play video games.
    The US may have waaaay more creativity but every Chinese businessman knows math and how to conduct trade and strike deals overseas while the people from the US are too arrogant.
    (sorry)
    • brokenex, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2I'm surprised at the amount of bad logic and assumptions you were able to fit into one post
  • sgt99999, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Very interesting, considering the recent ruling in South Africa that pre-1996 (?) Chinese immigrants are "colored" for purposes of the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) legislation.
  • abooth413, on 07/06/2008, -0/+110 billion difference!!! ???

    China does over 9 Trillion in trade annually... I haven't read the article yet, but the chart doesn't tell me much... other than neither of use really give a damn about Africa... We import more from the COUNTRY of Germany than we do the CONTINENT of Africa.

    We also import about 200 Billion more per year from China than we export..
    • coreman, on 07/06/2008, -1/+1Yes, but we don't import commodities from Germany, but finished goods like cars (really nice cars, generally), sauerkraut, and Oktoberfest steins.
  • knucklebusted, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2There will never be a "cure" for AIDS. There may be a vaccine to prevent infection but the disease is a fatal sentence, if only a prolonged one. You don't cure a virus, you live through it.
  • pinchduck, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2Apparently The Great Game is on again. Sucks to be Africa, the "prize" always loses in these massive power games.
  • vinceislegend, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2It's Clash. Clash of the Titans.
  • Tyrghast, on 07/06/2008, -1/+2Wheres the graph showing what countries the US has been actively toppling governments in for the last 50 years... Whenever the CIA doesn't like whatever African government rears their head, they just put them down and we never hear about it.
    • coreman, on 07/06/2008, -0/+2Too bad they don't do that yesterday to get rid of Robert Mugabe. Too bad they didn't do it to Idi Amin, or any number of other banana republic dictators that spring up regularly in Africa.

      • Tyrghast, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1They knock off whoever wont be their puppet and put in power whoever will. Just like in America.
  • jimbobsonagod, on 07/06/2008, -1/+1Well this has to be the first time I've seen the words "Africa" and "riches" in the same sentence.
  • Betrayer, on 07/06/2008, -2/+2THIS IS INCORRECT..

    you have to figure that we are borrowing HUGE money from China, so from about 2003 to now all OURS YELLOW BELONGS TO CHINA
  • jewbird, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1What's bothersome is that America and China are apparently so tightly-linked.
  • TheMachine1, on 07/06/2008, -0/+3Looking at the dip in 1998(oil price collapsed) I can tell that chart is basically US and Chinese oil imports from Africa.
  • RRJackson, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1So remind me again why we don't "clear the land" like we did in North America and just rename the place, "New America"? Seems like a lot of potential for development once you get rid of the savages.
    • korvan504521, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Ignoring your savages statement, the problem is most of the land isn't very fertile, and has significant water shortages. Which is primarily due to primitive agriculture and herding techniques which have devastated the land's longterm viability. Much of Africa is just barely on this side of livable. It needs a lot of work, particularly reforestation, or else the droughts and desertification is going to continue to spread.
      • RRJackson, on 07/06/2008, -0/+1Sounds like a challenging project. We're great at that sort of thing. Time to clear the land and get to work.
  • blackjack75, on 07/06/2008, -1/+4Glad to see Africa has stopped being abused only by Europeans.
  • zigardne, on 07/06/2008, -0/+5who cares, it's only worth three armies per turn and can be attacked from 3 other continents. Australia FTW
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