In Mark Kapchanga's view, the West, particularly media, really do not understand what the Chinese are doing in Africa. Kapchanga, a provocative Nairobi-based journalist and columnist, isn't shy in arguing his case that on balance China's presence in Africa is a net plus for the continent and its people. The West, he says, just doesn't have its priorities right in Africa, whereas Beijing's massive infrastructure spending across the continent is the kind of engagement that has a direct impact on people's lives.
Kachanga writes a regular column in the fiery Chinese state-owned newspaper The Global Times that unsurprisingly takes a stridently pro-PRC stance. Although the Kenyan journalist does have some critical views of Chinese policy in Africa, few if any of those opinions make it past the newspaper's censors.
So while Kapchang's outlook on Sino-African relations in print may be filtered, he doesn't hesitate in the least when he joins Eric & Cobus -- in the podcast in the audio above -- for a full debrief on his views about the state of the Chinese in Africa.