Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (L) speaks with Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama (2nd R) during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) [AFP]
Japan hosted African leaders on Wednesday for a three-day development conference, offering itself as an alternative to China as the continent reels from a debt crisis exacerbated by Western aid cuts, conflict and climate change.