■ CHINA: Sierra Leone Government finalizes $8billion worth of infrastructure projects including new airport for Freetown.

Sierra Leonian president,  Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, finalized a USD300million deal with the China Railway International Company for the construction of a new international airport to serve Freetown during his recent week-long trip to China. The airport forms part of a group of investments totalling USD8billion China is set to make in the impoverished West African state.

► ZIMBABWE: China Sonangol denies its A320 being used for diamond smuggling.

China Sonangol, the joint venture between the Hong Kong based China International Fund (or the 88 Queensway group) and Angola's state-owned oil company Sonangol, has denied a report by whistle-blower site, 100Reporters, alleging that its Airbus A319 (MSN 2706 | VP-BEX) was being used to "smuggle" diamonds from Zimbabwe's controversial Marange diamond fields.

■ SIERRA LEONE: Government signs $198m deal with China to build new Freetown International Airport.

Not to be outdone by its neighbour Liberia, the Sierra Leone Government is to move ahead with the first phase in the construction of a new USD198million Freetown International Airport, following the signing of a contract between the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Transport and Aviation and the China Railway International Company in December last year. Financing is to come from the Chinese Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank).

■ TANZANIA: Construction of Terminal III Extension to Dar es Salaam's Julius Nyerere International Airport to finally go ahead?

Construction of the new Terminal III complex at Dar es Salaam's Julius Nyerere International (JNIA) Airport is set to proceed once a suitable qualified contractor has been found by the Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA).

► GUINEA: Air Guinée to be resurrected?

Swiss aviation site CH-Aviation is reporting that the Guinean government is in talks with Chinese investors in the hopes of resurrecting defunct national carrier, Air Guinée (GI), dead and bankrupt since 2002.

Air Guinée's Route Network pre 2002 (Winne)

Reports suggest that Chinese aircraft manufacturers China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) are discussing a possible joint venture with the Guineans, following the collapse of another joint venture in 2009  - Air Guinée International - which was to be 85% owned by Hong Kong-based China International Fund (of Sonangol Angola fame). However, due to the unstable political climate in Conakry following the Coup d'etat of 2008, the deal was never fully implemented.

Air Guinée International A320 (Romain Salerno)

Since then, Guinea has been left with no national carrier, relying instead on other regional carriers as well as Air France for air routes into and out of the country.