China Uses Illicit Investing Practices in Developing Nations, Necessary to Stop Them

The Hill Station Club in Freetown was once the beating heart of Britain’s colonial community in Sierra Leone. It was here, in a raised clearing high above the city, that officials would unwind over gin and tonic and marvel at a panoramic view of the lush forest below. These days, the club stands in disrepair. Its ornate metal railings are rusted and decayed, while the underside of the roof is littered with holes. The building has become just another relic of the British Empire; a symbol of power and influence lost. Today in Sierra Leone – and much of the rest of Africa – there is a new player in town: the People’s Republic of China. In Freetown, road signs from 2021 celebrate 50 years of friendship between China and Sierra Leone, which gained independence from the UK in April 1961. Indeed, the smooth, wide road that runs past Hill Station Club is Chinese built. The country’s influence is evident everywhere. Several of Freetown’s housing estates have been constructed by Chinese companies, as have many of the city’s restaurants, shops, and casinos. Even Sierra Leone’s national stadium, based in the centre of the capital, was built by the Chinese, while Mandarin is being taught in the classrooms of primary and secondary schools across the country. In total, the Chinese have invested £2.3 billion into the nation since the early 1970s. The country’s experience with China is common to much of Africa. While the US and its allies have been busy enjoying the end of the Cold War, China has spent much of the past 30 years putting down roots across the African continent. Equipment belonging to a Chinese mining company at a quarry site on the edge of Sierra Leone's Western Area National Park Equipment belonging to a Chinese mining company at a quarry site on the edge of Sierra Leone's Western Area National Park CREDIT: Simon Townsley/The Telegraph Through its Belt and Road initiative, China has built infrastructure throughout Africa and established lucrative supply chains to several dozen nations. Over the past two decades, China has invested £123.85 billion in sub-Saharan Africa, research suggests. But this expansion into Africa has not always been positive, despite the vital investment it brings. In Sierra Leone, deception, corruption and intimidation, as with the British in the 1800s, have all been deployed to advance and consolidate the Chinese agenda. A joint investigation by the Telegraph and SourceMaterial explored how Chinese investors – facilitated by corrupt government officials – are plundering the natural resources of Sierra Leone and harming people’s health and causing serious environmental damage in the process. It uncovered: Plans to unlawfully mine granite from inside Freetown’s protected national forest and export the rock to the UK and other markets Outbreaks of violence between park rangers and Sierra Leonean soldiers tasked with protecting Chinese quarries The alleged poisoning of water supplies as a result of Chinese-run quarries The planned destruction of a pristine beach to construct a Chinese-funded fishing harbour and “marine park” for training captive dolphins At the same time, China’s investments in Sierra Leone have brought undeniable benefits, from new jobs and better infrastructure, to educational programmes. For many, life has improved. “It’s better to work with them than do nothing,” said one worker at a Chinese-owned quarry outside of Freetown. “I’m earning good money.”