China to deepen Africa ties over next decade with focus on trade

China will deepen its ties with Africa over the next decade by focusing on trade and is unlikely to be dislodged by US and European Union attempts to re-engage with the continent, the Economist Intelligence Unit said. The Asian country is likely to keep investing in Africa’s natural resources and may look to the continent as a source of food, boosting its expenditure on agriculture, the EIU said in a report released Thursday. Asia may see Africa’s youthful population as a source of labor for its manufacturing companies and as a market for its consumer goods, the research organization said.