The Star

China's leaders like strategic partnerships, and its bureaucrats like intricate diplomacy. Africa's leaders like to travel to summits. So everybody had a great time in the Chinese capital of Beijing last week, and one has to agree with Chinese commentators that a gathering of 42 leaders does not happen every other day.

Firm targets were set of almost tripling trade between China and Africa to $100-billion within three years. A bold declaration foreseeing a changed world order and an eight-point plan of action for Africa's development have been adopted. Observers sensed a seriousness about going beyond the paper promises of an endless series of summits and conferences with the G8 and other developed countries.

But now that the red dust has settled a little, questions are beginning to be asked. What exactly was in it for Beijing? Some China watchers say it was just a big show to legtimise China's extraction of raw materials from the continent. However, this view appears to be flawed. It wasn't really necessary to call a summit in order tobe able to get Africa's raw materials, since other big economies do so quite openly.