Story number 2 for 5 Jan 2000

Elsewhere, China has begun the new year by pursuing relations with African
countries. Beijing reportedly has begun a flurry of diplomatic activity in Africa this
month. The Chinese reportedly are looking to build better relations with developing
countries, including African nations. Grace Ministries’ Sam Vinton believes this is
because: “The Africans are sensing more and more that the Western world, the United
States and Europe, have sort of abandoned them to their fighting. We are not really
doing much of anything…whereas, we look at some of those other places where we
intervened-the Chinese, right now, are being looked upon as a government that’s
willing to help them when we are not.” Vinton says although the new ties have not
immediately made evangelistic outreach more difficult: “I think eventually, if these
countries owe China, then of course, China has ways of determining policy. Whether
or not that will effect the Gospel is unclear to me. Although, with long-range
implications, there possibly could be a change of direction for some of these
governments.”