course have a strong foothold in africa we just had news that the chinese premier xi jinping committed to sixty billion dollars so just a moment ago but of course those investments often come at the envy of european enterprises they have invested huge amounts in african infrastructure building roads hospitals and stadium paid for often in natural resources now though some african countries are going deep into debt to pay for the projects and then that s an issue which will likely be up for discussion at the forum on china africa cooperation which is currently underway in beijing. african leaders have high hopes for what chinese investment can do for their countries beijing s presence in the region has grown exponentially since its emergence as a global trading power now africa has become a cornerstone in beijing s global belt and road project in sierra leone for example president julius murder b o c s china s thirst for investment as a way for his country to catch the wave of globaliza
benefits to globalization so force we want to be a part of the world community but the large investments which chinese state owned companies have pursued so aggressively in africa have not been an exercise in philanthropy africa s vast resources have helped fuel china s economic transformation still below rejects the accusation by some western countries that china is exploiting africa we are not fools enough we know where we want to take our point in various countries do we involve in a relationship that is designed to be a win win relationship if we do not think it was so we wouldn t be involved in that so i don t subscribe to that i know when to take make entry. some african countries have become heavily dependent on chinese financing and a recent study by the center for global development a u.s.
was so we wouldn t be involved in that so i don t subscribe to that and nor here i want to technical entry. some african countries have become heavily dependent on chinese financing and a recent study by the center for global development a u.s. think tank has raised serious concerns about the sustainability of sovereign debt in several african countries receiving belt and road funds. african leaders are meeting today with the chinese government at the forum on china africa cooperation in beijing now let s bring in our correspondent catherine catherine from the kenyan capital nairobi catherine there is growing criticism that chinese infrastructure projects are pushing african nations into debt how big is the problem of debt in kenya for example where you are. well maybe just to give viewers a background the i.m.f. puts you know at least forty percent of african countries are in debt distress now
grown exponentially since its emergence as a global trading power now africa has become a cornerstone in beijing s global belt and road project in sierra leone for example president julius marder b o c s china s thirst for investment as a way for his country to catch the wave of globalization. and there are so many benefits to globalization so force we want to be a part of the world community but the large investments which chinese state owned companies have pursued so aggressively in africa have not been an exercise in philanthropy africa s vast resources have helped fuel china s economic transformation still below rejects the accusation by some western countries that china is exploiting africa we are not fools enough we know where we want to take our point in various countries do we involve in a relationship that is designed to be it when we relationship if we do not think it
when you look at kenya for example if you look at our debt to g.d.p. ratio it stands at sixty percent which is just to the ring of the edge but the countries in this on the continent that can attribute that debt crisis to china or loans from china and that includes djibouti which is about seventy seventy seven percent of its national debt to china and also the democratic republic of congo which goes china s seven billion and as well as china six billion dollars. china clearly sees the african come to them as a big supplier of natural resources but doesn t see anything beyond. well it does the president the chinese president xi jinping did announce eight new areas that china is very interested in deepening the relationship between africa and china and among them is health care which they you know intended to bring you