Thursday, March 28, 2019

Mali Prime Minister Wants both American and Chinese Investment

The Washington Times published on 27 March 2019 an article titled "Mali Prime Minister Urges U.S. To Counter China's Growing Dollar Diplomacy in Africa" by Guy Taylor.

Malian Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga said in an interview in Washington that if the United States wants democracy to flourish in his country, then the Trump administration must encourage private investment from major American companies while tolerating the presence of Chinese-backed infrastructure projects already there. While the prime minister said Mali prefers U.S.-style democracy, his country's development needs are so great it would be foolhardy not to welcome any foreign investment it can get.

In other words, both the United States and China are welcome in Mali; it should not be a question of choosing one country over the other.