Today's world is shrinking. Not literally, of course, but technological advances make it easy to span thousands of miles of land and sea, so people can immediately communicate with each other. The Internet has connected the world instantly, and airplanes make traveling from one part of the world to another a breeze compared to the long and dangerous sea voyages of the past. People are constantly moving and migrating, exchanging ideas and goods. Trade has always played an important role in human history. Whether it's trading an apple for an orange, or $12 million for a new dam, the fluid movement of goods and services from one to another is how humans have been able to receive things they didn't have access to before. In the international community, trade is more important than ever, helping nations build camaraderie with each other while simultaneously building their economies. Because of this, Africa felt a flourishing hope. With the dawn of each new day, he sees a new future. They decided to look towards the rising sun. They decided to turn their attention to the East. They decided to welcome trade with China. However, no one knows exactly what the future holds. This uncertainty mirrors the uncertainty of the partnership itself. Is China simply serving its own interests? Some believe that China is engaged in a new kind of colonialism, that it is exploiting Africa. Others worry that China's support is rolling back the progress other nations have made on African governance and humanitarian issues. However, given the deals these countries are already participating in, it is unlikely that China will invest so heavily in Africa solely for its own interests. Network. February 26, 2014.Eshelby, Kate. "In Pictures: China in Angola." BBC News. BBC and Web. 26 February 2014.Michel, Serge, Michel Beuret and Paolo Woods. China Safari: on the trail of Beijing's expansion in Africa. New York: Nation, 2009. Print.Raine, Sarah. China's African challenges. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge for the International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2009. Print.Rotberg, Robert I. China in Africa: Trade, Aid and Influence. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution, 2008. Print."Special Economic Zone." Investipedia. Np, nd Web. 23 February 2014.Waldron, Arthur, ed. China in Africa. Washington, DC: Jamestown Foundation, 2008. Print. Zafar, Ali. “The Growing Relationship between China and Sub-Saharan Africa: Macroeconomic, Trade, Investment and Aid Linkages.” World Bank Research Observer 22.1 (2007): 103-30. Oxford Journals. Network. February 26. 2014.