West's attempt to discredit China in Africa

Western countries mistake China's cooperation with Africa as something new, which is not the case. Although China's presence in Africa is more visible today than ever before, with increased trade, large infrastructure projects and loans, the friendship between China and Africa dates back to the 1950s and 1960s, when African countries were struggling for independence.

Tanzania which was the training base for most of the African liberation struggles had 20 Chinese military instructors at Itumbi, while other freedom fighters received military training in China. China provided both military and financial support to Africa's liberation struggle without any preconditions.

It should be understood that China had well established diplomatic relations with the Organization of African Unity which advocated the total liberation of the African continent. The OAU later transformed into The African Union, and when China built the $200 million AU headquarters in 2012, it cemented the long friendship between China and Africa. Rather than being a gift or bribe as Western countries have claimed, it was slap in the face for the West, which had never even considered doing something like that.