China has made a new breakthrough in the fight for resources in Africa. Chinese oil company Sinopec has signed an agreement with American Marathon Oil on the acquisition of its oil and gas assets in Angolan Block 31 field for $ 1.52 billion. On completion of the transaction, the Chinese company will own a 15 % share, as two years ago it acquired 5 % of stock in this project from French company Total.
Purchase of the new package of assets will allow China to increase its oil imports from Angola and thus, to increase its break in the fight for Angolan oil from its main competitor in this field - the USA. Since 2010, 40 % of the Angolan oil exports are delivered to China, whereas 37 % – to the USA. 14 % of the Chinese oil imports fall to the share of Angola. Significance of this country in maintaining energy balance of China has sharply increased after it had lost effective control over oil fields in Libya. As well as after it had lost the Sudanese oil because of tense political relations between Sudan and South Sudan, and after it was forced to curtail import of Iranian oil under pressure of the EU sanctions against Tehran.
Many experts relate these problems in energy diplomacy to the overall strategy of the United States aimed at containing China. In the meantime, after the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime, American oil companies increased their presence in Libya. As for South Sudan, where China controls most of the oil fields, the US deployed the United States Africa Command there. The fight for resources in Africa will become tougher, Director of the Institute of National Energy Sergei Pravosudov believes:
“The Chinese are leaders in Africa as far as investments in energy assets are concerned. But here we need to understand the course of the Americans and the Europeans, who have traditionally dominated in resources extraction in Africa. Most likely, they will try to make a bet on the explosion of discontent of the local population, which, in fact, is gradually happening now. Burst of terrorism has been registered in the continent after the Arab Spring, including hostage-taking and attacks on oil and gas fields. The Americans and Europeans will actively support terrorist movements in order to get Africa inflamed and to cast doubt on the Chinese investments in the continent. The logic is simple: the Americans are afraid of China’s strengthening and try to create a lot of problems for it”.
Two approaches have emerged in the struggle for resources in Africa - Chinese and American. In this regard, the March visit of President of China Xi Jinping to South Africa, Tanzania and the Republic of Congo has confirmed the continuity of the policy of Beijing. This is the strategy of economic and cultural expansion. At the same time, access to resources is provided by investments and cooperation, as well as by forming loyalty of the local population to investments from China through creating jobs, raising living standards, building schools, hospitals and roads.
What can US President Barack Obama, who has left for a week’s visit to Africa on June 26, answer to Xi Jinping? He will also visit South Africa and Tanzania along with Senegal. Today, the USA is staking on establishing territories of a «controlled chaos» in Africa, on organizing democratic revolutions, after which former investors are expelled from the country, and the new Pro-American regime revises pre-contracts in favor of the USA or its closest allies and partners.
Meanwhile, the Americans should answer a question: Is it worth it to tease a dragon, if it is not in a cage? And they are already not able to build a cage of the necessary size.
This is proved by the American company’s selling of a major package of oil assets in Angola to China.