Passengers passing through the new, £300 million terminal of Addis Ababa airport in Ethiopia are greeted by an array of signs in Chinese, directing them to their connecting flights across the continent.
Groups of transiting Chinese workers and engineers traipse through the arrivals and departures areas, often wearing matching hazmat suits and plastic goggles to guard against Covid-19.
They, and the Chinese-built airport, are a fitting symbol of the billions of dollars that China has ploughed into Ethiopia — and Africa — over two decades to fund giant infrastructure projects.
Addis is just one hub in a global web of Chinese influence, control and money that has arisen as the world’s second largest economy races to secure the minerals needed for the future generations of
