Your comparison with "mining precious resources in the 3rd world" is interesting, because China is doing that too: http://en.starafrica.com/news/mozambique-chi

Your comparison with "mining precious resources in the 3rd world" is interesting, because China is doing that too: http://en.starafrica.com/news/mozambique-chinese-firms-clinch-mining-deals.html http://en.starafrica.com/news/mozambique-chinese-firms-clinc... http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Data/Africa_file/Manualreport/cia_08.html http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Data/Africa_file/Manualreport/c... My experience five years ago was that regular African people were not too keen on the Chinese mining companies that had set up shop. But perhaps there was not enough competition to mine more locally.