It's def not alltruistic, but the South-South loans China provides the basis/backbone of provide countries with generally fair access to capital that are fair more fair and are seemingly far less likely to have the rug pulled out from them on like any sort of World Bank loan which is the only other real option for most places.
I mean it is similar to the strategy EU followed with smaller European countries, not Africa. The EU did "help" smaller European countries a lot, which ended up with them becoming very dependent on the EU and being subsumed by larger countries. This is still better than invading someone and drying them off their resources but it remains to be seen where this goes.
Furthermore, the national bourgeoise of each country acts more under the oversight of their states than of the EU
That is really only true for the larger countries, and even then only sorta. It really isn't true for the smaller countries, where the bourgeoisie is mostly subservient to EU consensus, or at least falling into one or the other block.
There are contradictions within the EU of course and they are getting stronger but there is an overall consensus and a shared foreign policy with some deviations, the EU isn't just a trade union.
however that the EU is destined for further centralisation is something far from assured IMO
Yes, as I said contradictions are getting stronger. I wouldn't say 3-4 decades. More like post crisis. Before that the EU was hot shit, everyone wanted a piece of it, and there was a great deal of consensus about what to do. Now not so much. Overall it did end up with the EU getting more centralised since now the more powerful countries control the economies of the smaller ones, but the cracks are spreading. The ridiculous response to COVID definitely didn't help the EU.
Sorry tankie but what China is doing is still imperialism, these countries have to let the IMF in so they don’t get debt trapped
"Uhhh, I think that we in the West know imperialism when we see it. Stay in your lane and let the experts talk, sweety."
Yeah I am commissioner of bits and they got their bit permit approved yesterday.
Short WaPo article by Brautigam for those who don't have time to read a full book