China has created quite an urban landscape, but it isn't in a place close to home. It is created right at the heart of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
However, despite the landscape, as well as the views with which Ethiopia is rich with, the experience of finding a unit is stunning. This is what Wang Yijun told CNN; in a city like Addis Ababa, where the power cuts are intermittent, power means being the person with a unit on the lower floor. The upper floors might have a more beautiful sight with better-looking surroundings; without power to the elevators, however, living on the higher floors is more of a burden than a boon.
The estate is the Poli Lotus, and the situation permeates much of Addis Ababa's landscape. Addis is experiencing quite an invasion of Chinese-designed condominiums and units; with China investing heavily in Ethiopia, as well as the other countries in Africa, it won't be much time before most of these countries experience looking more like a Chinese suburb than an African country.
It is quickly creating its own path through Africa. In Nairobi, there are new highways as well as imported tires on cars-all of them coming from China. Infrastructure is booming in the town. A closer look, however, would reveal that the firms and people behind these are from China. Chinese companies are coming in and creating an environment where Chinese firms, companies, and products are widespread and a familiar sight in the neighborhood.
Perhaps, the biggest mark of the Belt and Road Initiative felt in Africa, according to Quartz Africa, is the urbanization model that China is following. Sharing best practices have created a different kind of urbanization in Africa-one that closely follows the figurative and literal model of Chinese cities like Beijing. African cities are slowly becoming sister cities of Chinese ones.
Addis Ababa is an interesting case. The city has very little buildings in it, and it was never colonized with only a brief Italian occupation occurring for 5 years. Addis Ababa may have benefited from China's plans. It wouldn't happen, of course, if Ethiopia hadn't invited Chinese investments and infrastructures into the country.
