Noah Smith, Columnist

The Future Is in Africa, and China Knows It

Fast population growth offers some great investment opportunities, but the West is missing out.

The writing is on the lectern.

Photographer: Yang Huafeng/China News Service/Visual China Group/Getty Images
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During the past decade, China has been investing a lot of money in sub-Saharan Africa:

Some Western observers worry that this represents a new form of colonialism. Given the continent’s history with European conquerors and rich countries trying to cheaply exploit its natural resources, that suspicion is understandable. But although China can sometimes be predatory — for example, when uneconomical projects saddle African companies or governments with unpayable debt — the new African investment bears little resemblance to the colonialism of old.