From: wolda002@umn.edu
Date: Fri Nov 20 2009 - 22:26:44 EST
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2154&Itemid=422
China and Africa
Tag it:Written by Loro Horta
Friday, 20 November 2009
Africa's poor don't see China as a great power
The second China-Africa summit meeting in Egypt this week, which witnessed
a Chinese pledge of US$10 billion in concessional loans to African
countries, has again brought to the fore the debate over China's growing
profile in the continent.
Is it a boon to Africa as China and many commentators maintain or is it a
return to neo-colonial exploitation, as many critics claim? The truth, as
usual, may be somewhere between the two.
The debate on China's meteoric rise in Africa has been dominated by two
extreme and opposite views. One tends to see China s presence in the
continent as generally negative and generating a lot of resentment among
Africans. The second view is inclined to see the Chinese presence as
largely beneficial providing African states with generous aid in the form
of soft loans, major infrastructure programs, but, above all, providing a
balance to traditional European and American dominance of the region.
How do Africans see China after all? Based on 163 interviews and over a
decade of living in Africa, I shall argue that both views are wrong and
right, depending on to what region of Africa and to which group of Africans
one is referring.
African elites in general seem to welcome China's new found enthusiasm for
the continent. China provides many African governments with generous and
large loans, allowing them to develop badly needed infrastructure, expand
agriculture, and strengthen their security apparatus. Perhaps most
attractive of all, Beijing asks no questions nor imposes any conditionality
on such investments, at least for now.
China's so called non-interference policy and its no-strings-attached
approach to aid has gained it many friends and admirers among African
elites. Moreover, China's model of a strong government and its focus on
economic growth is looked upon by many African despots, and even some
democratic leaders, as an example to follow. Frustrated with decades of
instability and corruption, which many African elites tend to blame on the
West and its liberal democratic model, the continent's elites are fast
embracing the Chinese model.
Out of the 67 African officials interviewed from six countries across the
continent and ranking from junior military officers to a former President,
63 expressed quite positive views about China. In contrast, out of the 98
non-government affiliated people interviewed – among them street sellers,
teachers, and small business people – 73 expressed highly negative views
about China, some bordering on racism. From this small sample, hailing from
Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Namibia, Cape Verde and Zambia, it
becomes apparent that African elites clearly welcome the Chinese presence,
while the people are growing increasing ambivalent.
These discrepancies result from the different ways in which China touches
different sections of African societies. In Angola, where Western companies
rely primarily on local labor, Chinese companies bring 70 to 80 percent of
their labor from home. For instance, while nearly 90 percent of Chevron's
workers are Angolan, including specialized personnel such as engineers and
managers, Chinese oil companies employ fewer than 15 percent Angolan labor
and usually at the end of the pay scale. For instance, in 2006 at a
Portuguese run construction site in Maputo, Mozambique, there were only
five Portuguese out of 120 workers. While nearby, a Chinese run site had 78
Chinese workers and only eight locals, three of which were night watchmen.
The influx of thousands of Chinese migrants into Africa is becoming a major
source of grievance for the local population. In Angola, Chinese street
sellers are fast putting out of business thousands of locals and Malian
sellers who have been there for generations. The fact that many Chinese
tend to live in isolation with little or no contact with the local
population further aggravates the resentment already present. China has
also been accused of serious environmental damage in Mozambique, Southern
Sudan, and Equatorial Guinea to mention a few. In Southern Sudan, local
villages attacked a Chinese oil team, killing its leader, whom they accused
of poisoning their land. Chinese workers have also been killed in Ethiopia,
and Equatorial Guinea; while in Nigeria, rebels warned Chinese companies to
stay away from the oil-rich Niger delta region.
Although African elites and the Chinese government sing the song of
friendship and mutually beneficial south-south cooperation, there is
growing resentment at the grassroots level that has so far been ignored. It
should be mentioned that this resentment is not common or equally acute in
all countries. For instance, in Cape Verde, one of the continent's most
successful and transparent countries, the government has imposed strict
conditions on Chinese investment such has requirements on hiring local
labor and environmental standards. A similar situation obtains in Botswana
and Namibia.
It should be mentioned that Chinese companies are not the only ones at
fault on environmental issues. However, on the hiring of local labor,
Chinese companies have by far the worst record. The large influx of Chinese
migrants, many of whom are illegal, has caused severe damage to China's
image as a great power in the eyes of the Africans. As noted by a
Mozambican high school teacher:
"They say China is a great power just like America. But what kind of great
power sends thousands of people to a poor country like ours to sell cakes
on the street and take the jobs of our own street sellers who are already
so poor?"
Unless these issues are addressed, the growing resentment in the lower
sectors of African society may erupt into violent incidents and undermine a
relationship that could bring great potential benefits for both sides,
provided it's wisely managed. To its credit, Beijing has taken some
positive steps to address this problem by restricting Chinese textiles
exports to certain African countries in order to protect indigenous
industries and pledging to employ more Africans in its projects.
However, judging by the record of Chinese companies in their own country,
there are great limitations to what the Chinese government may achieve. How
could one expect Chinese mining companies in Africa to comply with
environmental and safety laws if the mines they operate in China are
considered the most dangerous in the world?
Nonetheless, China assisted Africa at a time when many in the West scorned
the continent. After the end of the Cold War, Africa was abandoned by the
West and the 1990s were marked by great suffering and instability. China's
meteoric rise in Africa forced many in the West to re-engage the continent,
diminishing its marginalization. Beijing built major infrastructure
projects such as mega dams, badly needed roads and telecommunications in
the continent that no Western nation was willing to fund. Still, it remains
to be seen if in the long run, the benefits will outweigh the many problems
caused by the new great power in the African savanna.
Perhaps in the end, the greatest responsibility lies with African elites.
Cape Verde and a few others that have shown that with an honest and
responsible approach, Sino-African ties can be highly beneficial to both
sides.
As noted by a former Mozambican foreign minister: "In the end it's up to
us, the Chinese like anyone else have their interest and will plunder us to
the extent that we let them. Africa's future is in our hands like it as
always been. Let's stop blaming others and wait for people to feel sorry
for us."
Loro Horta is a Visiting Fellow with the S Rajaratnam School of
International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He
lived in Africa for several years where he worked for humanitarian relief
organizations and in law enforcement. This article was published courtesy
of YaleGlobal, the magazine of the Yale Center for the Study of
Globalization
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Subscribe to this comment's feedShow/Hide commentsIn Hindsight
written by Zorro , November 20, 2009
"Chinese pledge of US$10 billion in concessional loans to African
countries,"
People aren't blind. The West grabbed their minerals for a song and plucked
slaves from Africa when they were the strong imperialists.
Did they pledge anything whilst stealing their mineral resources and
people?
Today, the weakened West behaves like sour grapes.
In the mind
written by Mamakthir , November 20, 2009
Greatness is the state of mind only. The West think that they are big
powers and each went on a rapacious rampage over Africa enslaving the
population from Day numero one to today neo-colonial relationships of
induced underdevelopments through deliberate distortion of prices and
markets.