Hello and welcome to Witness, I'm Rida Fahri.
The past decade has seen an explosion of Chinese economic growth across the world.
The Chinese economic miracle seems to reach into every imaginable area of manufacturing
and natural resources.
With this expansion has come the export of people as well as goods.
In Africa today there are hundreds of thousands of Chinese running shops, factories and mines,
often to the exclusion of local workers.
This tsunami of Chinese commerce has sparked tension and even violence in some African
countries.
Filmmakers Brent Huffman and Zhou Liju traveled to West Africa to Senegal to explore the
onslaught of Chinese economic might and its impact on long-standing African traditions
in the colony.
The war is one of the hundreds of thousands of Chinese immigrants who left China for
the new economic frontier of Africa.
At the age of 19, Liu chose Senegal as the place to make his fortune.
After living in Senegal for several years, Liu returned to China to find a wife.
Imagine marriage is howling laying.
Liu Yixi was one of the first Chinese babies born in Dakar.
She has a nickname Yangyang, meaning a little sunshine from the Atlantic Ocean.
Family also played a central role in Wu Xiuqing's decision to come to Africa.
Wu has called Senegal home for more than two years, but is proud to make traditional
Chinese food in her restaurant that she runs with her cousin, Hu Renjian.
Who also owns a large retail business selling a wide range of items from jewelry to pesticide,
all of which are imported from China.
The Chinese living in the working Dakar transformed the area, establishing over 200 stores.
They have changed the distinct identity of this five-mile stretch road.
All of our general dagal is Dakar's main street, but locals now refer to this area as Chinatown.
The Chinese goods are far cheaper than their domestic competition, and are increasingly
popular with the Senegalese consumers.
People open to one of the first shops here, despite his inability to speak the local language,
with a mainly young and vibrant expat community.
It is a common practice to celebrate the arrival of a newcomer to Dakar at one of the thriving
nightclubs that cater to the Chinese.
It is a common practice to celebrate the arrival of a newcomer to Dakar at one of the thriving
nightclubs, despite his inability to speak the local language, with a mainly young and vibrant
expat community.
It is a common practice to celebrate the arrival of a newcomer to Dakar at one of the thriving
nightclubs, despite his inability to speak the local language.
To negotiate the best prize with the Senegalese merchants, Wu has had to learn Walloff and
use it to develop her business in the community.
It is a common practice to celebrate the arrival of a newcomer to Dakar at one of the thriving
nightclubs, despite his inability to speak the local language.
Despite making Senegal home, Chinese choose to spend their leisure time within their own
community.
It is a common practice to celebrate the arrival of a newcomer to Dakar at one of the thriving
nightclubs, despite his inability to speak the local language.
Liu Bu and his wife are happy their daughter has adjusted to life in Africa.
Though they worry, she might lose her sense of being Chinese.
Many Chinese live in isolation when they first arrive in Africa.
Here in Tuba, 125 miles east of Dakar, you can get a glimpse of life inside this Chinese
government-owned compound.
Chinese live their lives within these walls.
This construction company imports everything from medicine to heavy duty vehicles.
It is a company that imports everything from medicine to heavy duty vehicles.
It is a company that imports everything from medicine to heavy duty vehicles.
It is a company that imports everything from medicine to heavy duty vehicles.
Welcome back to Witness.
As the rising tide of China's economic presence spreads further into Dakar's economy, it
has begun to spark tensions between the Senegalese people and their new Chinese neighbors.
For these newest immigrants, the question is, can they continue to grow peacefully in this
new environment and keep their Chinese identity?
The Chinese presence has reached nearly every corner of Africa.
China is rapidly expanding its influence over almost every African nation, including Senegal.
The Chinese presence has reached nearly every corner of Africa.
The Chinese presence has reached nearly every corner of Africa.
The Chinese presence has reached nearly every corner of Africa.
The Chinese presence has reached nearly every corner of Africa.
Adema Gay is a Senegalese expert on China-Africa relations.
He is surprised by how fast China is changing the landscape of Senegal.
When I come to this place and I look around, my feeling is that this street, this avenue
that used to be called Boulevard Général de Gaulle, to my mind, should be now called
Boulevard Marseille, in the name of the well-known Chinese leader.
Because this is Chinatown, this is China in Senegal.
These people have come overnight and have taken over the place.
Bakri Debeau, a Senegalese journalist, lives in the heart of Dakar in what has become Chinatown.
He has witnessed the transformation of this neighborhood by the seemingly ceaseless arrival
of Chinese immigrants.
There is also the installation of the Amulet marches, which in the beginning did not have
any more of the riverings of this neighborhood.
We remember that there were even chafourais between residents.
The economic context of Dakar is in the image of the economic context of the National Plan,
because everyone knows that the economy in Senegal is marked by a crisis.
This Senegalese family's shoe factory has been business for decades, but now they can't
compete with the rapid influx of low-cost Chinese made shoes and are going out of business.
We do not get much, we end up in 15 months of business.
We go sightseeing to see the first N.K.I.
I don't know, I don't know anything about it.
I don't know anything about it.
I don't know anything about it.
Kadim Bang, a local merchant, says this marketplace
has been devastated by the Chinese competition.
I don't know anything about it.
You see the truth, it's 100% from Senegal.
But there's no problem with the business,
because the people in Senegal are really working hard.
They're drinking, almost drinking.
But there's no problem with the business,
because the people in Senegal are really working hard.
You see the truth, you see the truth.
As a matter of fact, we don't need to worry too much.
There's no need for the customer to worry about anything.
We need to worry too much.
Because the business is slow, we don't need to worry about money.
No, I have the customer, only the customer goes straight to Chinatown.
Yes, Chinatown, the business now, it's the Chinatown.
Buy in the cheaper price, no good quality.
Too much problem for Chinese, too much problem.
Darte, ad nobile, momo l'ad lolo.
What's your business name?
This one, from Italy.
I'm from the Bih, I'm from the Bih.
I'm from the Koso, I'm from the Bih.
I'm from the Bih, I'm from the Koso, I'm from the Bih.
I'm from the Bih, I'm from the Bih.
For example.
You see the market, all is slow.
The shop now have anything, now have the customer.
All the market is slow.
You see, the straight, before is full the customer.
Before, this time is full, full, too much the customer.
But now, now have anything.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You see, the new data came soon, no?
Kadim's close friend, Sengulim Bao,
imports high quality baby clothing from Europe.
I'm from the Bih, I'm from the Bih.
I'm from the Bih, I'm from the Bih.
I'm from the Bih, I'm from the Bih.
I'm from the Bih, I'm from the Bih.
The Bih!
Africans working for Chinese companies
also complain of poor working conditions.
Hi you areWho are we, I'm from the Bih.
I get paid to opportunity.
For the month, I don't have any papers,
I don't have a loan, I have accelery,
they don't have enough money.
Tell На Spider, I don't have money,
The Senegalese Business Association holds weekly strategy sessions.
Increasingly, the number one topic on their agenda has to do with the competition they are facing from Chinese merchants.
The Senegalese Business Association holds weekly strategy sessions.
On the night of February 20, 2009, a Chinese businessman, Zhao Sui Qing, was tied up in his home.
Robbed and murdered in Dakar.
Senegalese police suspect six African nationals killed him.
It was a shocking crime that galvanized Chinese community in Dakar into action.
It also brought Senegal unwanted and the negative attention in news reports about the violence that reached all the way back to China's media agencies.
Business owners in Chinatown banded together and as a unified group went on strike and closed their shops for three days.
I grew up earlier.
I grew up in Dakar.
I grew up in Dakar.
I grew up in Dakar.
I grew up in Dakar.
The shock of violence and that lingering sense of isolation from their families in China have not deterred these immigrants.
I want to raise my children here and let them come to the world by themselves.
There are many young people here who are younger than us.
Young people are here to do business.
They will take the same path as me.
I want to raise my children here more and more.
Increasingly, some African governments have begun limiting visas for Chinese migrants entering Africa.
But even with that, there are now more than 700 Chinese state-owned companies operating across the continent.
Thanks for watching and I hope you'll join me again next time here on Wix.
Thank you for watching.
