India rules out rivalry with China in Africa

From V Mohan Narayan
Addis Ababa, May 23 (PTI) India on Monday ruled out
any rivalry with China in Africa, amid efforts by the West to
pit the two Asian giants against each other in the mineral
rich continent.
"We are not in any competition with China," official
sources travelling with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to
Ethiopia and Tanzania said, adding "Our relations with Africa
stand on their own. We look at Africa as the growth pole in
the future," they said.
Chinese presence has grown rapidly in the African
countries mainly concentrated on large infrastructure projects
like roads and railways while India is assisting in
capacity-building, agriculture, floriculture as also small
business which is scattered around.
The sources dismissed attempts by the West to pit
China and India against each other on Africa.
"Africa has tremendous economic potential. It's a
continent on the move. For us, it's an opportunity and for the
rest of the world also it is an opportunity," officials said.
"There is enough space for India and what it is good
at - skills development, training, capacity building," the
officials added.
India's push for getting a strong foothold in
Africa comes in the midst of major initiatives being taken by
China and Japan to make deep inroads there.
"Our relationship with Africa stands on its own", the
another official said, adding "India is not engaged in
competition in Africa with any other country. We are friends
and we will continue to be friends and brothers. We have a
historical relationship."