Abe pledges to boost investment in Africa

He'll probably boost Aid to Africa too.... all the corn he buys from the USA he'll donate to various African countries. Kill three birds with one stone. USA is happy, Japanese Farmers happy and African countries also happy. Win, win, win.

As I commented yesterday in the similar article:

Seems there are no policy areas where these countries have any sincerity - EVERYthing they do is ultimately for their own gain - growth/competition/image.

It's no coincidence that Africa has the last vast areas of undeveloped fertile land and is also rich in minerals.

Please invest in Japan first.

Japan is fast becoming a low-wage, poor, and bankrupt third world country.

Abe san needs to invest in Japan to create good paying jobs and raise the standard of living in Japan in order to boost tax revenues, increase marriage rate and child birth rate.

If this was Japan of 1990s, yes please invest in Africa. But not in 2019's bankrupt Japan.

Japan is fast becoming a low-wage, poor, and bankrupt third world country.

You read some of the most ridiculous crap on this site.

Japan is a first-world country, with advanced technology, infrastructure, and is one of the safest countries in the world. There is an extremely large middle class, with socialized medicine and pension.

Enough with the rhetoric. It's not even on the same planet, much less the ballpark.

If you want your posts to be taken seriously, you need to keep it in the realm of reality.

Otherwise people are going to start comparing you to the Korean government in terms of ridiculousness.

I do hope this a genuine wish to improve the continent's fortunes and not the colonial scramble it sounds like.

Could Abe’s plan extend to settling Africans in Japan?

Why not? No doubt there will be many Japanese heading over to that part of the world. Only fair there's a significant exchange of people. Given how much Japan will take from, I mean, make out of the region.

It’s a colonial scramble. The only thing that would ever truly benefit the continent of Africa would be the formation of an African Union. Consistent corruption amongst leadership is the reason Africa is not where it can be.

The unification of the continent would create an economic monster.

Japan has to look outwards, and it does have plenty to offer in infrustructure and technology.

I suspect Japan as an investor and partner is a better or at least more neutral option than other countries in the region that are now looking outwards that may expect to effect political change, educational influence in their favor.

Will it benefit Japan, of course else why do it if we are being honest but lets hope it would be done in as fair and environmentally friendly way as possible.

10 years behind China and abe has "pledged" many times before.

So while Japan's pension fund falters, Abe is going to be throwing money at Africa.

Japan Inc is a sinking ship and the Japanese government are trying to use a bucket full of holes to bail it out.

Invest in Africa? LOL. You might as well just burn the money!

China: been there, done that.

Let's face it, Japan is doing this because it doesn't want to be trailing China. And to hell with Japan's pension and other problems.

You read some of the most ridiculous crap on this site.

Japan is a first-world country, with advanced technology, infrastructure, and is one of the safest countries in the world. There is an extremely large middle class, with socialized medicine and pension.

Enough with the rhetoric. It's not even on the same planet, much less the ballpark.

If you want your posts to be taken seriously, you need to keep it in the realm of reality.

Otherwise people are going to start comparing you to the Korean government in terms of ridiculousness.

This coming from someone whose posts are ridiculously innacurate at best!

You read some of the most ridiculous crap on this site.Japan is a first-world country, with advanced technology, infrastructure, and is one of the safest countries in the world. There is an extremely large middle class, with socialized medicine and pension.Enough with the rhetoric. It's not even on the same planet, much less the ballpark.If you want your posts to be taken seriously, you need to keep it in the realm of reality.Otherwise people are going to start comparing you to the Korean government in terms of ridiculousness.

This coming from someone whose posts are ridiculously inaccurate at best!

How about he boosts the pension fund? Or childcare? Or aged care? "Nero fiddled while Rome burned!"

Smart move and necessary in a globalized world where China is out spending Japan in Africa by several times.

Basu

Please worry about S. Korea first and the bad decisions they keep making. Investing in Africa is not one of them.

Japan has to follow China, merge with China, that is the fate. Abe missed one belt one road, and this is the way to catch up. The concept is 3+x, not triple X. China, Korea, and Japan, plus a third party, go big, go cooperation, go win win win win.

Abe's anti-China policy has no hope. To demonize China is not the same as to compete with China, and to compete is not the same as to cooperate. If Japan can't cooperate with 1.6 billion neighbors, it can't cooperate with any one in this planet, as simple as that.

20 billion dollars? Wait, how about half? Then you can aid Africa AND Japan which is in dire need of childcare and elderly care. Also: "give a man fish and he will eat for a day, give a man a fishingrod and he will eat for a lifetime" spring to mind.

Japan's pledge to boost investment in Africa from the country's private sector to more than $20 billion over the next three years, in the hope of facilitating the giant continent's development.

We will do whatever it takes to assist the advancement of Japanese companies into Africa,

Yeah yeah, stop the hypocrisy. Japan like China wants to have a big foot in Africa for the sole purpose to exploit the natural resource of the continent. Something that several other countries do/did to a large extent before them by the way. But the scale to which China is trying to gain a big hold on Africa regardless of any environmental consideration is unprecedented and alarming. The Japanese have a similar mindset, they have consideration to nothing but their interests. So seeing them trying to also develop strongly their presence there will add even more fuel to a coming ecological cataclysm. 

A serious international regulation will have to be put in place to prevent it. Letting the Asians eager for just making money going there without any control is calling for a disaster, specially with the entrenched corruption in Africa which will make the task even easier for them.

Will this be akin to the so-called arrows? Why rational minds don't call BS on this loser is beyond understand.

Good for Japan. And good for all the poor African nations that Japan is trying to lift out of extreme poverty.

all the corn he buys from the USA he'll donate to various African countries. 

Any leftover corn from the imported 2.5 Million tons Japanese cannot eat, may be donated to these poor african nations. Is that such a bad thing? It shows that Japan cares, and is not giving help to poor nations for cynical reasons, like Communist China.

And it is a fact that Japan is becoming a poorer nation whilst many countries have a wealth of riches...

Itochu is already starting it's move to Ethiopia. Politics always try's to make exploitation of cheap labor a win for humanity.

The post office bank, desperate to make some type of profit, one of the largest is not investing in Japan but in foreign countries.

This is not about Japanese largesse-it is about making a profit....

Secured loans for/to market access, it makes sense, if a tad insincere, however positive for all concerned, discounting a coup.

It’s a colonial scramble. The only thing that would ever truly benefit the continent of Africa would be the formation of an African Union. Consistent corruption amongst leadership is the reason Africa is not where it can be.

The unification of the continent would create an economic monster.

Exactly!

It is lead by China with legacy from all the European countries. I wouldn't be surprised if Gaddafi's overthrew was partly because he wanted to form an African Union.

Unfortunately, most of the African corrupt and incompetent leadership was purposely put into power by the Western nations that colonized Africa or left a vacuum after destroying.

Ideally, I would like to Africa create a union get and kick out a lot of the foreign companies, military and governments. Take a page from Ethiopia!

human resource development programs for Africa, including training 3,000 people in Japan over six years, who can contribute to the promotion of business between Japan and the continent.

= i.e. train Africans who will work for less, saving Japanese corporations money. The rich will get richer and everyone else will be doing temp gigs. Sounds like "utsukushii Nippon" to me.

Sorry, but many African nations have a bad record when receiving aid. Any money sent there is going to need some serious oversight and management.

Yeah yeah, stop the hypocrisy. Japan like China wants to have a big foot in Africa for the sole purpose to exploit the natural resource of the continent.

Well, that's true. And Russia is also keenly interested in exploiting the natural resources.

Whoever exploits and controls the mining industry in Africa will control worldwide technology. I'd rather it be the U.S. and Japan rather than China and Russia.

Oh well, Japan is good the guy in Africa, Unlike China, Japan is doing good in Africa. It is too bad that the Japan haters can't past their hate of Japan to see the facts.

As is the U.S.. But U.S.-haters can't get past their hate either. The anti-U.S. haters see U.S. investment in Africa as exploitation and colonizing......while looking the other way as China and Russia does the same.

What is disturbing about aid to Africa is that millions of dollar equivalency aid has been going to Africa for decades, yet their infrastructure, health and living conditions have not appreciably improved. The various African government leaders are surely pocketing the funding and not being held accountable. Any investigation would be tagged as "racist".

@Halwick

Japan and the US are not the good guys in Africa. The US has exploited Africa almost as much as the UK. Most countries investing in Africa is for their own well-being and don’t particularly care about Africa.

@Silvafan

Unfortunately, most of the African corrupt and incompetent leadership was purposely put into power by the Western nations that colonized Africa or left a vacuum after destroying.

Has said it best. Europe and America tend to back corrupt leaders that are not for unification of the African continent. There have been many unification movements in Africa and America and Europe have consistently supported the opposition. They enjoy puppets that will allow them to keep their funds.

As a fellow African, I am well aware of my country and continent’s history.

Sorry, but many African nations have a bad record when receiving aid. Any money sent there is going to need some serious oversight and management.

You guys don't read the articles, just the headlines.

This is about Japanese companies setting up shop in Africa, just like China has been. It's mostly for mineral extraction. All electronics need rare earth minerals and the vast majority are mined in Africa.

Also, for those that think Japan is the good guy in this, you should research your history. Particular recent history where you find out the two primary groups exploited by the Japanese internship issues are South East Asians and Africans.

Other people that were labeled as villains and corrupt who the US and Europe openly supported and helped gain power are Sadam

Japan is a first-world country, with advanced technology, infrastructure, and is one of the safest countries in the world. There is an extremely large middle class, with socialized medicine and pension

Well that large middle class does not have good paying jobs, the standard of living is no where near to that of a developed country, that's one reason for low marriage and child birth rate.

The advanced technology, infrastructure has no relation to standard of living, as Samit noted the standard of living was high in the 1990's, not anymore, now you could compare this to developing countries.

Other people that were labeled as villains and corrupt who the US and Europe openly supported and helped gain power are Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden. These were leaders that they placed in power in order to gain what they wanted. When those people would no longer comply with their demands, they were labeled corrupt and terrorists.

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Meanwhile taxes have to go up because the government has no money for domestic programs.

"We will do whatever it takes to assist the advancement of Japanese companies into Africa," Abe told African leaders who gathered for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development.

I doubt whether the dumb African leaders got the above message.

Congrats to Abe for saying out he is interested in helping J-companies make money rather than the development of Africa.

Don't take Abe's pledge seriously! Japan is still haunted by the Fukushima nuclear havoc that required huge money to clean up the melted nuclear reactor! When someone(Abe) wants to raise eyebrows from the others......Writing a long serial of "Zeros" on a blank cheque is an option, at least for shorterm!

As long as the Yen stays strong and nobody cares about Japan's massive National Debt., I say keep printing the money and spend it as you like. In addition to helping out foreign countries with investments and such, the Japanese Govt. should be buying massive amounts of natural resources and stockpiling them while the Yen is still strong. I wish I could just print up money and have it actually be worth something.

Japan will follow China wherever China goes, that is the fate, as simple as that. Don't be supersized if Japan goes to the Moon, following China.

Do what China does, that is the fate.

Africa is a continent name where there's 50 countries+regions, as it is expalned as above in this column: {"predatory" China lending practices.China has been criticized for providing large loans to developing countries that are ill-equipped to pay off the debt, often called debt-trap diplomacy, under Beijing's Belt and Road infrastructure development initiative.} And China possessed the ports where that country still has big debts. Japan of this Abe to help countries of that vast continent with the amount to be divided to them will be nothing to compare the whole debts to China. Too late support from Japan when China disputed in many nations where it were trick ways to get Sino-properties at those countries. Hmmm, Is Abe doing a sane decision to invest from national bonds when China is still saying to African countries win+win projects with us, a better future to all of you? Easy way contracts to receive money from China I saw on tv 10 years ago, is the result of what is happening now. Japan will support them ( to govts, not people) and I guess who will "win double tell" years after.

Alexandre T. Ishii, well, China waived Japan $1.5 trillions after the end of war and that is not predatory. 75 years passed, did China ever occupy even one inch Japanese territory ? Demonizing China is not something that civilized Japan should do.

To: Akie

Check well the above column, "predatory" China means what is now to African nations, I've never meant any word predatory to Japan...

@expat.... so you've read everything and no enlightenment? Let us start with the subject itself. "Abe pledges to boost Investment in Africa". expat.... what does that headline tell you? What did you expect us to add to that... especially anything with real insight. Me, because of the subject, I went cynical with a touch of the sarcastic. That you expected to gain knowledge off of this is amazing. Or did you just have nothing else to say and could only come up with that. And.... and.... amazingly enough someone even gave you a thumbs up. Another brain dead idiot. They say "great minds think alike", the reverse is often true.

@Alexandre

China’s practices go beyond predatory lending. It doesn’t give out more money than many countries might be able to handle. But they do create a massive amount of jobs for African countries and the Chinese people. China has been mostly investing in further developing the infrastructure for a lot of places in Africa. They use Chinese contractors to head the projects and locals to do the building.

Samit Basu

Japan is fast becoming a low-wage, poor, and bankrupt third world country.

This is quite an overstatement, especially coming from a person with a name that sounds like having originated from that overpopulated nation that can barely feed its populace.

Abe san needs to invest in Japan to create good paying jobs and raise the standard of living in Japan in order to boost tax revenues, increase marriage rate and child birth rate.

What are you expecting here, Raju? Japan is a highly litterate nation with heavy emphasis on education. Unlike India, the women in Japan doesn't start birthing children at 15 years old, you know.

 It shows that Japan cares, and is not giving help to poor nations for cynical reasons, like Communist China.

I'd like to think Japan cares but I fear I'll stick with my cynicism. Both Japan and China (which is totalitarian, not communist) are most likely seeking to exploit African countries, rather than enrich them. Don't ever fall for those "trickle down" theories.

If he has so much money to sprinkle in Africa could he please not raise taxes on us then?

Yeh, that’s why it’s called by the Chinese, in English, the Communist Party of China!

Obviously, they think so...

Politics always try's to make exploitation of cheap labor a win for humanity.

And Marxists always try to call giving a job to a person who needs one exploitation.

And Marxists always try to call giving a job to a person who needs one exploitation.

Which Marxists, in particular?

Do you think low wages, long hours and poor living standards is a just compensation for the exploitation of one's land?

Do you think low wages, long hours and poor living standards is a just compensation for the exploitation of one's land?

What does giving someone a job have to do with exploiting one's land? Non-sequitur.

Low wages? How do you define low wages? Do you think workers in Sub-Saharan Africa should get the same wages as German workers? That would mean no jobs at all for them.

Poor living standards? Foreign employers generally raise living standards. And living standards are the result of all kinds of factors, most of which foreign employers have no control over.