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Published 1st May 2008

Vol 1 (AAC) No 7

The Yokohama summit

Image courtesy of Panos Pictures
Image courtesy of Panos Pictures

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As Tokyo plays host to African and world leaders this year, politicians try to reform the bureaucracy and boost aid again

Japan is launching major changes in its diplomatic and development strategy this year, coinciding with Yokohama's hosting of the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) from 28-30 May and the G8 summit in Hokkaido from 7-9 July. Tokyo is reorganising its government ministries and agencies, and plans to double aid to Africa to US$4 billion although there is some dispute about the baseline calculations.

Slim differences among the parties

Image courtesy of Panos Pictures

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How Japan's parties think about Africa, if they think about it at all

Before 1998, Japanese voters would have had some difficuty in identifying any difference in Africa policy among the three main parties. The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ, Minshutu) admits that even...

Reviews and renegotiations, again

Contracts are once again revised in Congo-Kinshasa

Kinshasa's Commission Ministérielle Chargée de la Revisitation des Contrats Miniers has revised the terms of China's biggest contract in Congo-Kinshasa, signed with the joint venture Sicomines, as part of a wider...

Contract Cavalcade

The last few months have seen a sharp increase in Asian involvement in North Africa

Asian companies are making headway in North Africa. In April, South Korea's Daewoo Engineering emerged as the preferential bidder on a US$650 million town project, complete with roads, sewage...

Chips off the old block

Rising demand in Asia for Africa's timber is fuelling corruption and environmental damage – especially in post-conflict countries

Asia's interest in Africa's forests is booming. Figures for 2003 showed that 42% of timber exports from West and Central Africa went to China, from almost nothing...

No oil guarantees

New Chinese investment in Angola has a note of risk attached

Angola and China are to set up a'new model partnership'. This will involve the'sharing of risks' and will'complement existing models', said Gao Jian, Vice-Governor of the China Development Bank (CDB) on...

Pointers

Hu Deping

President, China-Africa Business Council

Facing a growing demand for agricultural products while its wealthy business people seek new opportunities, Chinese companies are searching for investments in Africa that go beyond energy and mineral...

Akhil Gupta

Managing Director, Bharti Enterprises

Largely overshadowed by the family name and media attention devoted to Sunil Bharti Mittal, Akhil Gupta is Bharti Airtel's other Managing Director. Mittal is credited with the vision,...

Tiong Hiew King

Rimbunan Hijau Group

Malaysia's Rimbunan Hijau is the international logging company whose activities have fuelled Asian construction for 30 years. Despite heated criticism from environmental groups, Tiong Hiew King has become one of...

Masatu Kitera

Director General of African Affairs, Japan

Masato Kitera is a typical example of the dependable civil servants that Japan has assigned to its Africa projects in advance of TICAD IV, to be held in...

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