Africa: Principles of Confucius Guide China, Africa Ties

[aziza]

http://allafrica.com/stories/200701221642.html

Africa: Principles of Confucius Guide China, Africa Ties

OPINION
January 22, 2007
Posted to the web January 22, 2007

Alphayo Otieno
Nairobi

African States find relations with China attractive because there is no colonial baggage.

In some cases, especially southern Africa, close Chinese ties go back to the days of the liberation movements. Africans perceive China as a developing country that seeks to build South-South relationships.

China sees itself as a global power and leader of the developing world. For political and economic reasons, it wants to cultivate good relations with the 53 nations in Africa. In several countries, close links minimise Western and especially American hegemony. African elites argue that the Chinese treat them as equals. They point out that they invest in infrastructure, the key to continent's future, a sector that is avoided by Western aid and investment.

Different value system

Many African governments perceive China as a welcome counter force to the US and the West in general, especially when the latter criticises human rights violations. From the Western perspective, China's record on ethics and human rights constitutes a negative influence. Most African governments, however, are neither troubled by China's human rights record. Countries with bad human rights' records welcome Chinese non-involvement in their affairs and seek the country's support at the UN Security Council and UN Human Rights Council, where China and 13 African countries are members.

The support cuts both ways. Most African countries on the Human Rights Council are equally reluctant to criticise China's record. At the recent Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, the two sides welcomed the establishment of the new UN Human Rights Council and resolved "to enhance cooperation and to ensure that the Council respects the historical, cultural and religious background of all countries and regions".

China not concerned with civil liberties

This was a clear marker that China and Africa have a different view of human rights than the one preached in the West. The latter looks at China-Africa relations through the optic of Western ethical and human rights values. Many Africans do not share the values and evaluate relations with China differently.

If the West fails to take the different perceptions into account, it will never deal effectively with the challenges China poses to it in Africa. Drawing on Confucian principles, China emphasises family and society collective interests over the individual. China is less concerned about individual civil and political liberties and more concerned with collective human rights and their impact on economic matters.


China's aim is to have a society free from want and one that achieves moderate prosperity. This approach provides China with an alternative human rights' theory. China and Africa have a high premium on the doctrine of sovereignty. This explains why China avoids conditionalities, with the important exception of the acceptance of the One China policy in its relations with African countries.

China operates on a government-to-government ties and is uncomfortable with the role of NGOs in policy matters. If a G-8 country proposes a project, there is an environmental assessment and evaluation of human rights and governance situation. The Chinese just do it.

The writer is the business development manager, Global Allied Industries

[aziza]

http://www.pekingduck.org/archives/002976.php

China-Africa relations: a mixed blessing

October 05, 2005

Posted by Martyn

In 2004, China-Africa trade increased to almost US$30 billion. This years figures are on track to show an even greater increase. China-African trade can be roughly split into two halves, African natural resources going to China and cheap Chinese manufactured goods going to Africa. In addition, China has invested in over 715 enterprises, particularly the infrastructure needed to develop natural resources.

Surely a ‘win-win’ situation, right? Wrong. These numbers hide a worryingly lopsided relationship. China buys mostly raw natural resources from Africa, produced by low-margin businesses that use low-skilled workers - hardly the building blocks of a modern economy, but China sells mostly finished goods to Africa.

As Chinese finished goods flood into Africa, the continent, like much of the world, finds that it simply cannot compete. Across Africa, governments are prioritizing a manufacturing-based industrial strategy which runs directly against China’s export juggernaut. Recently, 6 clothing factories shut down in Lesotho with the loss of 55,000 jobs. With unemployment rates of over 30%, these are jobs that African countries can ill afford to lose.

African producers accuse China of dumping goods below cost. Meaning that the export prices of finished Chinese products are below those of the raw materials needed to make them. Subsidized raw materials and other inputs are a big feature of Chinese economic policy. For example, a barrel of oil is roughly US$25 cheaper in China than on the international market. Such price advantages exist right across the industrial spectrum for Chinese factories. Needless to say, many Africans worry that closer economic ties with China may not be good in the long run.

Politics also plays a large part in China-African relations. Many African governments see China as an alternative, and political balance against, Europe and the United States. Particularly since China does not link trade, aid and investment to fre3d0m, d3m0cracy and hum@n r1ghts.

For instance, China’s much-publicized relations with Zimbabwe and the Sudan have given these countries the economic and diplomatic help they needed in order to resist international efforts to impose economic sanctions. China is also moving into the traditional role of institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In 2004, Angola refused to agree the terms of a US$2 billion loan from the IMF for national reconstruction. A Chinese state bank loaned them the money instead, on more easily agreeable terms.

[aziza]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5080626.stm

Angola: China's African foothold

Last Updated: Tuesday, 20 June 2006, 12:52 GMT 13:52 UK

As Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao visits Angola, the BBC's Piers Scholfield examines what links the two nations.

One of the worst of the countless conflicts that has blighted Africa in recent times is that of Angola.


But a peace deal signed four years ago - and huge oil reserves - are now giving the Angolans hope as the country tries to rebuild its devastated infrastructure.

Recently China, scouring the globe for raw materials to feed its booming economy, has been drawn to Africa as an abundant source of minerals, and has started investing heavily in countries like Angola.

Africa, however, has been here before - and ended up as the victim.

Ever since its first contacts with western powers, the continent been plundered for its manpower and resources.

And until now it has had little to show for it, except phenomenal debts and rampant poverty.

But now there is a tangible air of optimism about the future.

Chinese revolution

An oil boom, set to see Angola overtake Nigeria as the continent's biggest oil supplier, is pouring billions into the government's coffers.


China and Africa: Who benefits?

The country's national budget has recently almost doubled - from $13bn (£7bn) to $25bn.

China is at the forefront of this revolution.

In its desire to secure future energy supplies, it is proposing billions more in credits, loans and infrastructure programmes. The World Bank told the BBC that the latest offer to the Angolan government is worth $9bn.

The Angolan government says it hopes to use this money on infrastructure projects to help rebuild roads, bridges, and schools across the country.

Despite the huge amount of new cash flowing into the country, some of society's poorest say they are not seeing the benefits yet.

Slums

Even in the capital, Luanda, families struggle to find food and water.

"Some of the poorest families live on seven or eight litres of water a day," says Allan Cain of the Luanda Urban Poverty Programme.


"That's well below any international standard, and women have to walk for hours every day to collect the water."

And on the edge of the city in an area called Cambamba Dois, hundreds of people live in ramshackle dwellings made of corrugated iron and old clothes, exposed to the wind and rain.

They were thrown out of their houses to make way for developments for the wealthy and there is no sign of any compensation from the government.

Luanda itself is set on the Atlantic Ocean.

The city is a vast, sprawling mix of beautiful colonial-era government buildings, enormous construction sites - mostly for new oil company headquarters - and huge areas of filthy slums and shantytowns.

The city was originally built by the Portuguese for around 400,000 people, but the population is now thought to be well over 4m, swollen over the last three decades by a constant stream of people escaping the war in rural areas.

Non-interference

The city is choked with traffic and there are enormous public health problems, including a recent outbreak of cholera which left 1,200 dead.

This highlights the need for enormous investment, which is where China comes in.

The Angolan government welcomes the new visitors.

"Most important for us is the country's reconstruction," said minister Luís da Mota Liz.

And referring to efforts on transparency he went on, "just this month the Angolan government approved the international convention against corruption".

However, others say that the combination of corruption and Chinese cash is damaging, and that this source of new funds gives Angola the opportunity to ignore the IMF's recommendations on transparency and accountability.

The Angolan example is far from unique across Africa, where trade with China has exploded in the last few years.

And in the rush for resources, China has no qualms about dealing with countries that the west has criticised or shunned, such as Zimbabwe and Sudan.

China says it has a strict policy of non-interference in other nations' affairs.

It won't tell the countries it deals with what to do and vigorously defends its policy in Africa.

"Sudan is a sovereign country and I'm sorry that we do not develop relations according to US or UK or any other country's instruction," said Zhou Yuxiao, chargé d'affaires at the Chinese embassy in South Africa.

"Developing normal relations with a country does not mean that we approve every policy of that nation."

He went on to say that China was doing a great deal to help African countries such as Angola.

"We are cancelling debt owed by the least developed countries, building more schools and hospitals.

"We have brought and will continue to bring great opportunities to all parts of the world including Africa."