The rapidly growing middle class jumped from 29 million people in the early 2000s to 531 million in 2013. In 1980, China’s urban population was 19% but it rapidly increased to 58% in 2017. Simultaneously, they have positioned themselves closer to natural commodities which are essential for the rapidly expanding Chinese economy. By lending such vast amounts of money to African nations, the Chinese gained goodwill and influence in these rapidly expanding economies. In 2018 they lent $700 billion dollars (over twice the Irish 2017 GDP of $334billion). In 1998, China had lent $0 in the African Continent. China had been involved in some Cold War infrastructure and military projects, but usually established merely a trading relationship with many states, until now. Due to mass loan-defaulting in the 1980s, reduced cash pool and stricter conditions, it became harder for developing states (many of whom rely on foreign funding or loans as a large percentage of their GDP) to access this money. The US and other nations have long been unwilling to provide large amounts of money to the IMF, and other institutions that would typically lend huge amounts of money (for better or worse) to developing states. The United States has retired into isolationism from being the world’s most overzealous policeman and now, China has begun to fill the void. Ben Ryan, having spent time in Malawi, draws from personal observation and global patterns in Chinese foreign investment to illustrate the diplomatic favour the state is currently inspiring with financial aid.
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