China’s African Empire. By Paul Kenyon. Bloomsbury Publishing(布鲁姆斯伯里出版社); 432 pages; £30. To be published in America in January; $38
《中国的非洲帝国》，保罗·肯扬著，布鲁姆斯伯里出版社，432页，30英镑。将于明年一月在美国出版，定价38美元。
WHEN CHINA paid $200m to build a new headquarters for the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa (pictured), it was perceived(被视为) as an act of great generosity. But five years later technicians noticed something odd. Late every night the servers, which had been provided by China, whirred(嗡嗡作响) furiously. Data was being exported to servers in Shanghai, including confidential emails, diplomats’ memos, security-camera footage(监控录像) and more. Algerian and Ethiopian specialists who later swept the building reportedly found microphones hidden under desks and inside walls.(据报道，后来对大楼进行扫描的阿尔及利亚和埃塞俄比亚专家在桌下和墙内发现了隐藏的麦克风。)
当中国出资2亿美元在亚的斯亚贝巴（如图）为非洲联盟（非盟）建造新总部时，这被视为一项慷慨之举。但五年后，技术人员发现了异常。每天深夜，中国提供的服务器都会疯狂运转。数据被导出到上海的服务器，包括机密邮件、外交官备忘录、监控录像等。据报道，后来对大楼进行扫描的阿尔及利亚和埃塞俄比亚专家在桌下和墙内发现了隐藏的麦克风。
The Chinese government and the companies involved, Huawei and ZTE, all denied any wrongdoing(不当行为). No surprise there. More dismaying was the public reaction of African leaders, who voiced fury not over the surveillance but towards the reporters who helped expose it.(更令人沮丧的是非洲领导人的公开反应：他们愤怒的对象不是监控行为，而是帮助曝光此事的记者。) In a gripping new book, Paul Kenyon, a British journalist, argues that China is the latest external power out to gouge(榨取、敲诈) the continent while empowering corrupt, local power-brokers(权力掮客).
中国政府以及涉事公司华为和中兴均否认有任何不当行为。这并不令人意外。更令人沮丧的是非洲领导人的公开反应：他们愤怒的对象不是监控行为，而是帮助曝光此事的记者。英国记者保罗·肯扬在一本引人入胜的新书中指出，中国是最新一个企图榨取非洲大陆资源、同时扶植腐败地方权力掮客的外部势力。