[LINK] On the Africans of Guangzhou

[rfmcdonald]

Le Figaro has reported on the surprisingly large community of African migrants attracted to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, in what's just part of the growing interaction between China and Africa. A translation of part of Arnaud de la Grange's article "À Canton, les bonnes affaires des immigrés de la «petite Afrique»" ("At Canton, the good businessmen of "'Little Africa'") is below.

In Guangzhou, the workshop of the world's, "Mr. Africa" is Emma Ojukwu, who has naturally emerged as the main intermediary between the largest community of African countries and local authorities since he is the patron of the Nigerian Association of China, the most numerous African nationality most represented. And also because the networks in the administration and the Chinese police, as are many other Africans, including Francophones, came knocking at his door when trouble comes tip his nose.

According to Emma Ojukwu, there are bnetween Nigerians are 3 000 or 4 000 around Guangzhou, and more than 7 000 throughout China. Some estimates are much higher. His phones constantly ring. Here, he is helping a fellow whose visa has expired and no longer has a single yuan in his pocket. There, he has an appointment with the Criminal Department to settle a difficult case. "Of course, there are problems among the African population," he said. "If one African arrested for drug trafficking, it gives us a bad image. "

The diaspora, in English and French, is doing quite well for itself, with booming trade and tens of thousands of migrants.

China Daily, Danwei, and various other sources go into greater detail.