Wikileaks: US monitors 'aggressive' China in Africa

[Turborama]

Source: BBC

The US is closely monitoring China's expanding role in Africa, the latest secret US diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks reveal.

A cable from February quotes a senior US official in the Nigerian capital, Lagos, describing China as "aggressive and pernicious". However, the official says the US does not consider China a military, security or intelligence threat.

Wikileaks has so far released more than 1,100 of 251,000 secret US cables.

The BBC's diplomatic correspondent says the latest documents provide a fascinating insight into Washington's rivalry with Beijing in Africa.

The cable, published by the Guardian newspaper, quotes Johnnie Carson, US Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, who had been meeting oil company representatives in Lagos.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11955516

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On edit, this really needs adding: "He argues that China is not seen in Washington as a military or security threat at the moment. But he says there are, what he calls "tripwires" in Africa for the US when it comes to China."


Summary
Johnnie Carson, US assistant secretary for African Affairs, insists that China is not a military, security or intelligence threat. He says China is not in Africa for altruistic reasons and is a very aggressive economic competitor with "no morals". Key passage highlighted in yellow: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/250144?INTCMP=SRCH">US monitors China and its expanding role in Africa

[davidinalameda]

1. what insight

unless you haven't been paying attention, you wouldn't realize that we've been keeping an eye on China's activities in Africa

[HEyHEY]

2. Yeah, China has blocked the BBC today cause of this article, I can't get to it without a proxy

China doesn't want its people knowing it is in cahoots with murderous governments, really kills the whole "We don't interfere in the internal politics of others" angle they try to play.

[Turborama]

3. My sympathies, it must be really frustrating there sometimes

Can you access the Guardian?

[HEyHEY]

4. usually, haven't tried today - checked, yeah it's up

[Turborama]

6. Shhh...

Loose lips, and all that.

Glad to hear you can access that second link, though.

[Turborama]

7. I'm curious.

Can you access the Beeb using this? www.hidemyass.com

[HEyHEY]

8. No, but I have other ones

I use Ninjacloak mainly... need it to post on DU actually. I can access DU, but not smoothly without it.

[tomm2thumbs]

5. check here - guardian is up - talking about Shell Oil infiltrating Nigerian government

from the link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/dec/08/wikileaks-cables-shell-nigeria-spying

'The oil giant Shell claimed it had inserted staff into all the main ministries of the Nigerian government, giving it access to politicians' every move in the oil-rich Niger Delta, according to a leaked US diplomatic cable.

The company's top executive in Nigeria told US diplomats that Shell had seconded employees to every relevant department and so knew "everything that was being done in those ministries". She boasted that the Nigerian government had "forgotten" about the extent of Shell's infiltration and was unaware of how much the company knew about its deliberations.'

[defendandprotect]

10. Think that should be a separate thread ... be sure it's clearly in the records ....

[defendandprotect]

9. k

[defendandprotect]

11. ... but presumably US has been in Africa for "altruistic" reasons .... :rofl:

[indimuse]

12. well..we should be keeping an eye on that and elsewhere...nt