A slowdown in Sino-African relations?

If the Nigerian case is any indicator, the global economic crisis may be causing a slowdown in Sino-African trade:

The global slowdown has prompted a Nigerian cement company to postpone plans to buy $3.3bn (£2.1bn, €2.3bn) in plant building and materials from a Chinese contractor in a sign that China’s burgeoning trade with Africa may be starting to soften. Dangote Group signed a deal with Sinoma International Engineering, the Chinese construction company, in February to build a series of plants needed to fulfil its goal of overtaking France’s Lafarge to become Africa’s largest cement maker.

The deal was one of the biggest struck between an African and a Chinese company, symbolising Chinese businesses’ progress in carving a foothold in African markets long dominated by European rivals. Africa-China trade was estimated at $55bn in 2006. But Aliko Dangote, founder of the Dangote Group trading and manufacturing empire, has postponed most of the projects in part because the global crisis has clouded the outlook for the construction sector.