China has been a heavy investor in African communities for decades now and it’s investment of capital into the local space elevator project has given certain powers in the local community that others simply don’t have access to.
Perhaps the biggest reason for such deep investment is the expansion of Chinese interests into Near-Earth Orbit and beyond. With their investment came certain controls and usages that were not guaranteed to other governments, and so their foothold above the Earth was able to grow from the Ladder to Heaven, as the more poetic of their government have taken to calling it.
The Chinese Diplomatic Complex takes up roughly a city block in New Mogadishu, and towers above other local buildings.
Whilst home to offices and consular staff, it also plays host to trade delegations between China and the African Union, the nearby Arab League, even Federal Europe, all whilst keeping a steady eye on local investments.
If ever a phrase could be linked to the current Chinese ruling party and their interactions with the local polity, it would have to be ‘diplomatic immunity’.
The abuse of immunity is so widespread by some low-level staff that the slang term ‘dimpy’ has come to be used to refer to them.
jot jot ïota 