Written by a sour Indian, but some useful information may be seived through from the jaudice and sarcasm
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In tandem with dam building and transportation infrastructure, China has put significant resources into improving agricultural production, with rice as the main priority. In early 2008, the Chinese government pledged to invest $800 million in modernizing Mozambican agriculture, with the goal of boosting rice production from 100 000 tons to 500 000 tons a year in the next five years. With this objective in mind, China is funding the establishment of an Advanced Crop Research Institute and several other small agricultural schools throughout the country. Over 100 Chinese agricultural specialists are currently in Mozambique, including teams from the Hunan Hybrid Rice Institute, China’s top institution in the field. Other major projects include the construction of numerous irrigation and canal networks in the valley.
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http://csis.org/blog/zambezi-valley-china%E2%80%99s-first-agricultural-colony___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Beijing has provided the Maputo government with very generous gifts. In addition to substantial soft loans, China has also provided extensive ajuda amigavel e gratuita (free and friendly aid). China has built various important government buildings free of charge, such as those housing the national parliament, the Foreign Ministry, the Joaquin Chissano conference center, a massive high-rise that houses members of Mozambique's defense force (FADM) and various other governmental buildings at the central and provincial levels.
China's latest gifts came early this year when it announced it would finance the construction of a new national stadium at a cost of US$15 million and provide the FADM with US$1.7 million in assistance.
In recent years, China has also sent large numbers of professionals to Mozambique as part of its assistance program, including doctors and nurses, engineers, agriculture specialists and teachers.
The number of Chinese nationals in Mozambique varies from source to source. The Chinese embassy in Maputo puts the number at 7,000 as of 2006, while Mozambican immigration authorities say the figure is closer to 12,000. Some nongovernmental organizations claim that the number maybe as high as 15,000 due to large numbers of Chinese illegal workers, particularly in the logging and mining business, mainly located in the country's remote northern provinces.
In the field of education, China offers the largest number of scholarships to Mozambican students. However, the difficult requirement of learning Chinese and the modest nature of the bursaries still makes South Africa, Portugal and Brazil the preferred destinations for Mozambique elites.
The extent of China's rising importance as a source of inspiration for FRELIMO's ruling elites can be seen in the decision taken by the Mozambican government in late 2006 to make mandarin a compulsory foreign language in high school in addition to English and French.
While Marxism Leninism is no longer important for either China or Mozambique, one should not underestimate the relevance of old friendships that tend to open doors otherwise closed to Western nations. Many senior Mozambican government officials were trained in China and still remember China's revolutionary solidarity in their fight for independence.
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http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Current-Affairs/Security-Watch/Detail/?id=53470&lng=en
