He was asked about visiting the African Union building that was also built by the Chinese, and funded by the Chinese.
Obama said that it was true that China has over the last several years, because of the surplus that they’ve accumulated in global trade and the fact that they’re not accountable to their constituencies, have been able to funnel an awful lot of money into Africa, basically in exchange for raw materials that are being extracted from Africa.
He added that what was certainly true is that the United States has to have a presence to promote the values that it cares about.
“We welcome Chinese aid into Africa. I think that’s a good thing. We don’t want to discourage it,” Obama said.
He continued to say that what he wants is to make sure that trade is benefiting the ordinary Kenyan, Ethiopian and Guinean – not just a few elites – as well as the Chinese who then get the resources that they need.
source: NAIROB NEWS