China has a reputation as a reluctant global stakeholder. Born of years of foreign meddling in its affairs and what it refers to as the century of humiliation, China’s foreign policy centres around non-interference in the domestic affairs of others.

This does not preclude, however, extensive commercial interest, as exemplified by the country’s increasing Africa ties.

As China’s economy has grown over the past decade, the country’s trade with Africa has outstripped growth with other trading partners. This is partly due to the tiny starting figure. Between 2003 and 2013, trade between China and Africa grew more than tenfold from $19bn to $210bn. But the end figure, still, is impressive. African trade is now two-fifths of the bilateral trade between the US and China.