A series of acts of violence against Chinese nationals in Angola is rapidly becoming an issue of concern. The Chinese who are very involved in the construction of many infrastructures in Africa, say they are victims of armed gangs, which has created a climate of insecurity within the community in Luanda, according to Chinese businessmen. Are these attacks based on resistance to a perceived gradual-Chinese-take-over, or is it because of unnecessary fear, misplaced perceptions, and share criminality?

'We hear of two or three attacks per day and people are ready to leave the country. Small businesses are already gone," Xu Ning, head of the Chinese Business Council (CBC) representing 40 companies in Luanda, told AFP.

In September businessman Xu Tonggou was murdered trying to resist a robbery. On that same day, six armed men robbed the offices of a construction company, beating workers with batons and threatening them with AK-47s. In October, robbers reportedly poured boiling water on three Chinese workers in Luanda. Many more attacks have gone unreported, says Xu Ning.

China has given Angola more than $5bn in oil-backed loans to build infrastructure. There are tens of thousands of Chinese workers in Angola, involved in reconstruction projects after the country’s 27-year-long civil war; including stadiums for the 2010 African Cup of Nations.

Eddie Zhang, head of Shanghai Urban Construction Group, the company building the new 50,000-capacity football stadium in Luanda, told reporters that he has heard of a growing number of attacks and that they weren’t just normal robberies but planned. "This is bad for business between Angola and China," he said.
However, Superintendent Jorge Bengue of Luanda’s Police Command police has denied that there is a campaign of violence against Chinese nationals in the city. But the Chinese embassy in Angola has advised its nationals not to go out alone at night.

Despite the attacks against Chinese growth across African countries including Angola, China insist that their policy is, as its officials coined it in 2003, that of a peaceful rise. The Asian nation insists that its policy in Africa is not detrimental. According to the China Daily, "Economic and trade cooperation with Africa covers much more than just oil and raw materials supplies, said analysts.

Source: Afrik.com/AFP