China is busy building bridges and investing in infrastructure across the continent, in return for oil and minerals to fuel its rapidly expanding economy.

BBC: NEWS | Americas | Aids, oil and Africom on Bush tour

As a continental trade port, admittedly, its future is dim: Chilean shippers say that they handle little traffic between Asia and Argentina or Brazil, and there has been only slow progress on building the road and rail links across the continent that could extend the hinterland of Chilean ports.

ECONOMIST: The APEC summit is a chance for Chile to prove itself

In a sense, France and the United Kingdom are replaying their 19th century roles of colonial European powers looking to project power and protect interests outside the European continent, while Berlin remains landlocked behind the Skagerrak and concentrates on building a Mitteleuropa.

FORBES: Connect

Over the last decade, China, Africa's largest trade partner, has quietly invested significant sums in building communications infrastructure across Africa, providing technical upgrades for state broadcasters and training journalists from across the continent.

CNN: Chinese media make inroads into Africa