Chinese Vice President Han Zheng was in Kenya this week, where he oversaw the first shipment of agricultural products that will enter the Chinese market duty-free. There's a lot of excitement across the continent about China's removal of all import tariffs for goods from 53 African countries.
But Yan Liang, an economics professor at Willamette University, argues it's not going to make much of a difference to reduce the swelling trade deficit that most African countries now have with China. Yan joins Eric to discuss a recent paper she wrote that explores China's evolving economic relationship with Africa and how the continent's lack of industrial capacity, among other factors, will keep the trade relationship between these two regions largely intact.
📌 Topics Covered in this Episode
- China's changing financial role in Africa
- New lending and investment patterns
- Rising debt repayments and pressures
- Growth of RMB financing in Africa
- Trade imbalances and structural challenges
- What China's economy means for Africa
Show Notes:
- International Development Economics Associates: China's Evolving Role in Africa: Banker, Debt Collector and Rescuer by Yan Liang: https://tinyurl.com/mrybak59
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