But the foundations of that position partly lie in Africa and the Caribbean, where China has been building relationships for decades. During that decade, trade between Africa and China grew by a massive 700%, making it the continent’s largest single trading partner. In the decade after, the 2000s, China became one of the largest trading partners for several Caribbean countries, having been an early aid supporter for Guyana in the 1970s. By the 2010s, trade with China and Caribbean countries went from negligible to almost $10 bn annually. Whatever political era comes next for China on the world stage, it was built in the cities and villages of Africa and the Caribbean.