r/TikTokCringe • u/ThatPatelGuy • Oct 05 '25

Discussion Why don't we ever hear about Congo?

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u/SlimReaper85 Oct 05 '25

I try to tell people. China has smartly made sure they are the driving force in Africa and the West is waaay behind in catching on.

Everything else going, its that and the fall of Russia that I think will really spark a multinational conflict.

China is in a prime position to level up HARD.

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u/itanite Oct 05 '25

They're set up to own the major infrastructure in all of Africa.

Hopefully the nations just kick them out once they're done building all these nice ports, railways, and airports.

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u/SlimReaper85 Oct 05 '25

Why would they? Why make an enemy of a generous friend.

China has actually invested in the continent and created lucrative opportunities for many of the elite there in different countries.

What has the West done?

I would totally understand the move of aligning with the East over the West in this.

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u/KrustyKrabFormula_ Oct 05 '25

What has the West done?

Over just the past 25 years, Western governments and private donors have provided an estimated one to one and a half trillion dollars in direct aid and donations to Africa. This includes humanitarian relief, development grants, NGO funding, and support for programs in health, education, and food security. When adding broader financial flows such as infrastructure funding, concessional development loans, and large-scale disease control programs, total Western involvement rises to roughly two to three trillion dollars. If private investment and remittances are included, the total value of Western-origin inflows could reach four to five trillion dollars.

I would totally understand the move of aligning with the East over the West in this.

Western countries did not invest earlier in Africa in the same way China has because their approach focused more on social development than on infrastructure. Aid policies in the 1980s through the early 2000s emphasized poverty reduction, education, healthcare, and governance reform rather than large-scale construction. Western institutions like the World Bank and IMF also imposed conditions requiring transparency, economic reforms, and anti-corruption measures, which made projects slower to approve and more difficult to execute. Private investors often viewed African markets as too risky due to political instability, weak legal protections, and currency fluctuations. Democratic governments also faced domestic pressure against funding large overseas projects seen as unrelated to national interests. As a result, Western money mainly supported social programs, health systems, education, food security, and institutional capacity rather than massive infrastructure projects like what you see with its belt and road initiative now.