Into Africa: China continues its dominance on the continent

On May 1, China eliminated all tariffs on imports from African countries, with the exception of one, Eswatini. The tiny South African kingdom is being punished for extending diplomatic recognition to Taiwan. Economists are mixed on the impact of this move, but the messaging is brilliant. As the United States creates barriers to trade and treats Africa with contempt and disdain, China scores points with a key diplomatic bloc and source of vital raw materials. China gets a lot of credit for its outreach to Africa, but Japan cultivated relations with those same nations long before Beijing put them in…