Chinese President Hu Jintao is traveling to Africa again that the African Development Bank (ADB) says is focused on trade and to strengthen bonds with ignored nations and population and making “Africa one of the major areas of attention.” Beijing has been courting Africa and South America assiduously to develop commercial and social relations that may be useful when it does pass the United States as the largest economy in the world in 2035.

What is interesting for India to note is that China is developing closer links with island nations in the Indian Ocean such as Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Madagascar, and now Seychelles. These islands fall on the other major maritime sea lanes linking Africa to Asia. This time around, Jintao will visit Cameroon, Liberia, Sudan, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, and Seychelles. Last November, China also hosted a major convention inviting African leaders to Beijing and will also host an ADB board meeting in Shanghai mid-May.

With the West shrinking its scope of influence and pre-occupied with the problematic West Asoa, China sees the investment it makes into Africa as a major infrastructure and commercial opportunity apart from gaining long-term influence