China built a new headquarters for the African Union in Ethiopia

Addis Ababa - A supermodern skyscraper has risen in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which will serve as the new headquarters of the African Union (AU). The entire construction, valued at 200 million dollars (3.8 billion crowns), was financed by China. The complex, which symbolizes the strengthening of Chinese influence on the African continent, will be officially opened on Saturday and an AU summit will begin there the next day. This is reported today by the AFP agency.
The new thirty-story AU headquarters reaches a height of 99.9 meters, surpassing all other buildings in the city. It includes three conference halls, the largest of which has a capacity of 2500 seats, offices for 700 AU employees, and a helicopter landing pad that will facilitate the quick transportation of high-ranking politicians from the airport to avoid traffic jams.
In 2010, China surpassed the United States to become Africa’s largest trading partner. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce stated that in 2011, trade between China and African countries reached 120 billion dollars (2.29 trillion crowns). According to industry experts, 70 percent of the oil exports from the African continent now go to China. Africa has also become one of the main targets for Chinese investors. More than 2000 Chinese companies are already investing in the African continent.
January meetings of African heads of state in the Ethiopian capital have a long-standing tradition. Addis Ababa has become the diplomatic capital of Africa, partly due to the influence of the late Emperor Haile Selassie, who was one of the initiators of the establishment of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, which was the predecessor of the African Union. Until now, summits have been held at the UN conference center, as the old AU headquarters was too small for such events.
In 2009, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi took the helm at the AU, not hiding his desire to move the union's headquarters to his hometown of Sirte. However, his plan fell through when Ethiopia agreed with China that same year to build a new headquarters in Addis Ababa. The building was constructed by the Chinese firm China State Construction Engineering Corporation, with 1200 Chinese and Ethiopian workers working on site in two to three shifts. The Chinese government not only financed the construction itself but also the equipment for the building. Most of the building materials were imported from China. Ethiopia provided the land free of charge.
According to analysts quoted by AFP, investments in the construction of the new AU headquarters reflect China's changing role in Africa. While previously Chinese interests focused primarily on acquiring as many raw materials as possible or investing in infrastructure, Beijing is now starting to invest finances into African institutions.
Alex Vines from the British think tank Chatham House stated that it is in China's commercial interest to promote stability in Africa, especially in light of the Arab Spring, whose mass demonstrations led to the fall of several North African governments.
"China is reevaluating its outlook on Africa. I believe that the events of the Arab Spring, especially what happened in Libya, were not anticipated by China," Vines told AFP.
However, Chinese investments in the African Union do not only include the construction of a shiny new headquarters. In December, China promised to contribute 4.5 million dollars (86 million crowns) to an AU military mission in Somalia to support its fight against Islamist militants from Al-Shabaab, who are linked to Al-Qaeda. According to the British civil society organization Saferworld, China is also a major sponsor of UN peace missions in Somalia, Burundi, and Sudan.