My Lyft driver said Africa is better off with China than the US since the Chinese only does business and doesn’t intrude in local local politics, is he right?

No. Africa needs to protect its non-humans, and China tends to want to buy their body parts even if it causes them to go extinct.

No. The US needs to stop doing so much business with China. The Chinese “steal” our intellectual property. Steal is in quotes, because companies actual give them the full specs to product the products.

@Zaku makes a good point.

China is investing billions in improving infrastructure in Africa through commercial loans that will have to be repaid albeit at comparatively low interest rates and with long repayment periods. I would doubt if China is doing this for purely benevolent reasons however the projects being funded have the support of the governments concerned and of the people in those countries.

US involvement abroad by contrast stresses military support and intervention and while the Chinese Belt and Road initiative is expected to cost $trillion this is not much more than the annual US defence budget.

Since people in China have become far wealthier it has led to increased demand for luxury goods such as ivory or shark fins or for superstitious items such as rhinoceros horn. The Chinese government doesn’t favour this and is on the side of conservation as can be seen by its membership of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Life and Fauna. If we want to tackle the illegal trade in wildlife we need the support of all countries not least, China.

China is pervasively invasive

Well, you can either have someone build your infrastructure, or have someone bomb the one you have to smithereens.
Your choice.

Your driver is naive.

The Chinese are playing the long game. They are getting the African countries into deep, deep debt. And in 20–30 years, the Chinese will ultimately take over the countries and install Communist rule.

Your Lyft driver is thinking in too short a time frame.

@elbanditoroso Agreed.

Let me get back to you on that after I check with my buddies in Taiwan.

That whole infrasructure (that you usually don’t need) for resources, obligation and debt “deal” is a very old strategy also practiced by Western corporate/government schemes for over a century…