and the Chinese have invested $600m in Zambian hydro electrics. The economic needs of both countries will inevitably trump details such as minimum wages or health and safety standards (rare in Africa, anyway).
As for Zambia, so for the rest of the continent. Mr Hu's current tour also includes stops in Cameroon, Liberia, South Africa, Namibia, Seychelles, Sudan and Mozambique.
In 2006, China's trade with Africa was worth $55.5bn, a 40 per cent increase from 2005. But in case African governments needed further incentive, Mr Hu (left) took with him $3bn in credit deals, aid and interest-free loans.
He casually handed Cameroon $100m in grants and 'soft loans' for technical and economic initiatives, and telecoms projects. He also wrote off the country's debt, discussed programmes to provide housing and drinking water and agreed to build two schools and a hospital in the capital.
Projects like these are more directly beneficial to Africans than donor money - and much harder for politicians to steal. According to World Bank estimates, last year alone 
