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FRENCH IMPERIALISM    CHARLOT

try to limit imports. American capital is found essentially in the French banks and the big mining operations. This relative erosion of France's position is mirrored in the development of foreign trade. In 1959, sixty-one percent of the exports of fourteen former French colonies were sent to France, and sixty-five percent of their imports came from France. In 1968, these figures had fallen respectively to thirty-seven and fifty percent. The other countries' exports went from twelve to twenty-four percent and their sales from nine to seventeen percent. The FRG and Italy have played the leading tole here. However, the franc area retains a considerable advantage, which means that African issuing banks can be controlled. "Far from costing in foreign currency, Madagascar and the African States provide more and more, and use a good part of it for settling their trade deficit with France."*"Francophonia" is a supplementary element on the technical and cultural levels in French imperialism's attempt to keep special relations with what used to be its colonial empire.

In Indochina, the French economic establishment is of the post-colonial type. There are less than three billion francs invested, which is explained by a limited interest beyond the traditional areas. Use of the French language helps it with regard tot he former Belgian colonies; Zaire, Ruanda and Burundi. The EEC is helping France to enter the East African community: Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. French investments in Portuguese colonialism in return benefit from France's political support.

This link between colonialism and neo-colonialism is equally obvious in South Africa. There is an alliance between the two imperialist powers of Paris and Pretoria. By means of this alliance, France tries to strengthen its position vis-a-vis its American, British, West German and Japanese rivals. Its support is quite definite: "What would our position be in South Africa today if we had not had friendly relations with France? How could South Africa have set up the most powerful army of the whole African continent?" asked the South African Minister of Transport, Mr. Schoeman in 1967. The military cooperation is varied and considerable: sale of planes (Dassault-Nod and Sud Aviation), and rockets and missiles (Matra), of armored tanks (Panhard), and of submarines (of the Daphne type); perfection of fuses and no doubt of atomic weapons; training of sailors and officers; production in South Africa of military equipment under French license. The profits from this trade are considerable; the contracts made
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*Report to the Economic & Social Council, March 10, 1970.

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