China Wakes, Cuddles Up to Africa
I got an email yesterday from a local reader named Bianca responding to my review of China Wakes. She would have posted it as a comment, but Blogger has mysteriously put everything in Chinese lately, and I can’t switch back to English (another reason I’m switching to Wordpress soon). Regardless of how her thoughts got here, they’re sharp enough to deserve a new post.
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In terms of your question “Can a book published a decade ago about current events still offer accurate insights?” When considering China’s relationship with Africa I would have to say yes. While I haven’t read China Wakes, the statement, “China will demand far more of the world’s energy resources” is a precise description of what China wants from Africa.
I have recently moved from Durban, South Africa to Dalian and South Africa was one of the 8 countries President Hu Jintao powered through on his Africa tour shortly before I left. I think there is a point in trying to figure out which move China’s development is going to take. The truth is that a relationship with China and Africa is inevitable but it is the nature of this duet that needs to be closely watched.
With big promises of debt relief and development such as building railway lines, China is dangling the juicy carrot in front of Africa’s eyes, asking it to sell it’s soul and provide mineral resources for money and development.
The MG Online reported on China’s recent attempts to ‘colonise’ Africa:
“China has made Africa a centrepiece of its diplomacy, seeking access to energy and resources on the continent to feed its rapidly expanding economy, as well as the strategic benefits that come with the backing of Africa’s 53 countries at the United Nations.
“Chinese President Hu Jintao offered Africa $5-billion in loans and credit during a China-Africa summit in Beijing last year.
“He followed up by announcing ahead of a trip there last month that China would lend $3-billion in preferential credit over three years and double aid and interest-free loans.”
The criticism of China’s interests in Africa by the West has been widely debated as many argue that it is a major contradiction made by the West. Obviously debt relief and development are two things that Africa desperately need however the cost to Africa and consequences which inevitably occur need to be seriously considered. The relationship between China and Zambia is a prime example of the huge potential of this going bad.
China has spent millions in Zambia building railway lines and employing Zambians at their mines. The cost of this has been that many Zambian small-business owners have lost out as the Chinese have invaded the informal market sector as well. Another atrocious backlash is the mistreatment of workers at the mines and this goes by unnoticed, as because of the financial contribution made to the country, China is accountable to no one.
If this were to occur in many other Southern African countries where political instability is present it could result in a dangerous and messy situation, which would be difficult to get out of. On the other hand perhaps Africa should jump for the helping hand in making it more developed and less dependent on the West. I think we will have to see – let’s hope Africa makes the right decision.
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March 18th, 2007 at 1:35 am
Saw your post through China Law Blog but the same annoying thing happened to me with respect to the Chinese thing.
You can change it by going to http://www.blogger.com (or your dash board). At the bottom of the page are a number of links - one means language (and I have no idea which one is which) but on the english version now (I had someone who could read chinese figure it out for me) it’s the fourth one in from the right (you can try them all but it’s one of the links) and you can change it back to english.
With respect to your post though I question whether debt relief is something Africa desperately needs. That’s been tried before with little to no effect in the 80s. With debt relief doesn’t necessarily come development. Africa’s leaders have much to learn (or perhaps implement since I suspect many of them already know) about good governance and basic legal concepts like property rights.
I get the sense that leaders in the US and UK are pretty much vilified no matter how they respond. On one hand, to play the game of one upsmanship means dealing with less than scrupulous leaders in Africa and turning a blind eye to those governments’ policies — good governance isn’t easy and it’s in large part about letting go of control. China is appealing after all because it offers a way out for them - money without what they see as “strings” of government reform measures like transparency, etc. attached.
March 18th, 2007 at 7:59 am
I don’t have much to add to the conversation, but I you should probably click a link that has one of these characters to change the language: è¯ or æ–‡ hope that helps。
March 18th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Thanks for the language tip, both of you. I figured it out once I knew where to look (on the main page, not in my blog’s settings).
Africa thoughts to come.