Alc Pan-african Radio

Emerging powers such as China are shifting global trade relationships. For example, trade between Africa and China has grown from 10 to 20 per cent annually in recent years. Most of China’s imports from Africa have been natural resources. These exports have increased by about 46% from 38 billion dollars to 46 billion dollars over the last 10 years. But despite this growth, there have been complaints of unfair trade contracts. In 1998, the Zambian government sold 85 per cent shares in the country’s copper mines to Chinese companies. They ended up making considerably more than they should have made from the deal. There have also been reports of unfair contracts between the government and Chinese companies involved in diamond mining in Zimbabwe. Then there are the issues of market deregulation and corporate social responsibility. Countries have fully or partially introduced deregulation of their extractive industries, particularly oil and gas, and mining, to allow increased private sector participation in the