https://english.news.cn/20230413/59cc67cd86c84435ac624742366e81df/c.html
The Gabonese president went on a diplomatic trip to China to discuss bilateral ties between the two countries. According to the article the ties between the two countries are “Rock-firm as ever” over the nearly 50 years of relations the countries have shared. The article states that Gabon and China are developing their relationship for the interest of Gabon’s national interests. This comes after Gabon’s position nationally and regionally has increased, it was recently made President of the Economic Community of Central Africa. As president they’ve been encouraging advancement in their economy via China.
This is clearly an attempt by China to expand their economic influence into less developed parts of the world, such as Africa. I think the American neglect of some of the poorest regions of the earth, such as Africa, south America and parts of Asia, has always left a vacuum of power that can be filled by any large regional or global influence. Such as Russia influencing Central and South America in the 50s-60s, as well as South East Asia. This is obviously dangerous for America’s current global hegemony, the individual countries do not play a large role in global politics, but nce all of them have fallen, as a region, they are incredibly important.
In class we discussed how China will give poor countries dubious loans with high interest rates, knowing that they will not be able to pay them back. Once they are incapable of paying back the loan China will simply take collateral, often in the form of ports or bases, these bases and ports are furthering China’s agenda of having access to unprevented trade through the Indian Ocean. This is important because America controls much of its ability to trade through the Pacific Ocean and Yellow Sea, meaning they could shut down Chinese trading whenever they feel necessary.