Russia remains an economic minnow Putin has made into a big fish

The United States is no longer the global hyperpower, former colonial powers have lost their captive markets and China has emerged as an economic superpower in Africa but not yet a dominant global force. While geopolitical tectonic plates shift, African governments are being solicited by ever more potential allies, trading partners and investors. In an evolving marketplace for money and influence, China has set the bar very high by hosting grandiose triennial Sino-African summits, but others have big ambitions too.