TOKYO -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday promised 360 billion yuan ($50 billion) in financial support to African countries over the next three years, part of a diplomatic blitz that also included an offer to train thousands of military and police personnel.
Speaking at the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, Xi made a slew of pledges covering trade, industrial supply chains, infrastructure connectivity, health, people-to-people exchanges and security. The outreach to the continent comes as China seeks to exert greater influence in the emerging economies of the so-called Global South, but the scope is likely to attract scrutiny amid rising concerns over recipient countries' ability to repay debts.
