China Exploring Africa's Biodiesel Crop Potential

From the erudite China Confidential. Look for the third entry down, same title.

Energy-starved China is expanding its African oil safari to include oil from plants--the kind that can be used as feedstock for biodiesel production.

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China, the world's second largest oil importer after the US, is showing significant interest in biodiesel as an alternative fuel. China has become the fourth largest--and the fastest growing--motor vehicle market. Under pressure from its own citizens and the international community to seriously address the worsening air polution problem, the government recently set a goal that that by the year 2020, 20 percent of Chinese energy is to be derived from renewable resources. Hence, the interest in securing supplies of feedstock.

Rack one up for China. Not that we should be singing the praises of the CCP mind you. The Middle Kingdom's human rights record in Africa is notoriously bad. At the end of all this, we are as likely to see exploitation under conditions reminiscent of colonial histories as we are to see a a decline in greenhouse gasses.

And then there's the question of small arms and munitions trade. I've commented on this before, but China is running a sort of oil-for-guns program, and the kinds of people they trade with are not the good kind of people.

Togo and the Congo are two countries of focus. In competing for commodities and and, Beijing's energy behemoths, which answer to the Chinese government (controlled by the Communist Party) and not to stockholders, have important competitive advantages over their European and US rivals. Chinese firms can offer African leaders an array of incentives--from presidential palaces and sports stadiums to guns and cash gifts--to achieve company aims and advance the national interest.

You win some you lose some, I guess.