‘Strengthening a regime is, in effect, a form of internal interference,’ says analyst
How China is reshaping its economic ties with Africa
Yet relations with China have been strained since March when the junta expelled three Chinese oil executives over disparities between the salaries of expatriate staff and lower-paid local workers and revoked the licence of a Chinese-owned hotel in Niamey, citing “discriminatory practices and administrative violations”.
The dispute escalated last month when Niger ordered China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and its Soraz oil refinery to terminate the contracts of expatriate employees with more than four years’ service.
Observers said Niger’s dispute with Chinese oil companies underscored the limits of Beijing’s non-interference policy – a long-standing Chinese policy which, in practice, meant China remained essentially regime-agnostic.
