This is not excusing China's attitude, and it's by no means (much) better. You wouldn't call someone who keeps slapping you over the face a friend just because they could have punched you.
No they won their independence from wars, most of the colonies that where "given back" won their independence through fighting in world war 1 and 2, there are very few exceptions to this rule.
But, Congo seems to fail to be independant and corruption seems to have gotten way worse.
I don't have sources I would quote, but I have enough to be told to look over there and see the cause and effect.
Developing countries are saddled with debt, and further crippled. Recipients of the debt are contractors. Austerity measures are needed to repay the debt, and the citizens are the ones burdened by it to help extract the country's natural resources to pay the debt.
Even IF an indictment of the World Bank is just crackpot conspiracies, it is a really good instruction manual. China's approach is running the same playbook but may even be more completely benign. Their industries have been entering emerging markets that others have decided not to effectively touch, without invading. Are they also running the regime change playbook too like the US did all last century? Time will tell. They are doing a lot for African markets. They don't need to be an "ally", everyone should be skeptical. Lightyears ahead of what the west is doing though.
PS. No sources to quote, that's a bummer. Everyone thinks to see all causes and effects. I do not agree with this one.
The West has been mostly fair in the digital age, while China doesn't. That's the cause and effect i see.
It's only funds, not resources.
Give me some trustworthy resources that say the IMF is both.
The Western world has been giving back colonies from a dark past.
That's a higher standard.
Fyi, the entire world has dark pasts, some more successful than others.