The Far East looks to Africa. After China, which has long been investing massively and building infrastructure across the continent, now it's Japan's turn. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe – according to reports from the BBC – would be about to allocate more than 14 billion dollars in aid and trade agreements, with the hope of increasing exports and securing energy resources.
Abe will be traveling to Africa shortly. The first stop on the journey will be Oman, then he will touch three rapidly growing economies: Ethiopia, the Ivory Coast and Mozambique.
According to Lerato Mbele, a reporter for BBC Africa, the visit is considered an attempt by Tokyo to compete with Beijing in the race for African resources.
In Ethiopia, Abe is expected to announce the construction of a geothermal plant, which would bolster the country's growing renewable energy sector.
Meanwhile, Mozambique has discovered large deposits of gas and coal. And Japan is one of many investors looking to do business there.
More problematic is the situation in the Ivory Coast, which is recovering from a long period of conflict and political instability. Still, the state is a gateway to French Africa, a region relatively unexplored by foreign investors.
