How China Lures Africa

The Promise of A Win-Win Relationship For China And Africa

Apr 7, 2009 Tongkeh Joseph Fowale

"We have turned east where the sun rises, and given our backs to the West where the sun sets." Defiant Robert Mugabe envisioned Africa in the hands of China.

When his government came under severe vilification from the West, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe made a prophetic statement which has turned out to be very accurate. “We have turned east,” he said, “where the sun rises, and given our back to the West where the sun sets.” His counterpart in Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, confirmed this statement at the EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon in December 2007. He said, “Today it is very clear that Europe is close to losing the battle of competition in Africa.” Both leaders saw Africa in China’s hands.

China’s Grand Strategy in Africa

China’s successful foray into Africa is a function of many factors. History has always been on China’s side. China has also very skillfully avoided the mistakes made by Africa’s former colonizers in the West. Beijing does not waiver in its support for its African proxies no matter what is said about them by whomsoever. China has employed considerable foresight and thrown cash in the form of trade, aid and infrastructural development in Africa.

These factors have given China complete leverage in Africa where Europe is fast becoming a thing of the past. “Nowhere in the world is China’s rise more evident,” says Jon Swain in his article “Africa: China’s New Frontier.” Beijing has also used its diplomatic muscle to protect its African friends in all circumstances, a factor which has given confidence to African leaders.

Why African Leaders Look East

History alone explains why African leaders have in Mugabe’s words “turned east where the sun rises." Decades of unfulfilled promises, hypocrisy and double standards, wanton exploitation, hubristic and “finger-wagging” instructions from the self-righteous West are underlying factors. The instruments of western economic control – IMF and World Bank, with their counterproductive influence have helped to increase Africa’s agony. As recent events show, these institutions have tragically misled Africa. In the eyes of African leaders, China offers not only relief, but hope in an era of uncertainty.

Another strong reason why African leaders look east without blinking, is the fear of being “used and dumped” by the hypocritical West. The West has left a legacy of using African leaders to massacre their own people and then accuse these same leaders of human rights abuses. The cases of Mobutu of Zaire, Jean Bokassa of the Central African Republic and Ahidjo of Cameroon are few examples.

“History has shown that the West has no slightest worry over stirring up turmoil and instability in Africa,” says Reason Wafawarova in The Zimbabwe Guardian of 10 July 2008. The cases of Mugabe and Al Bashir suggest that China is not only consistent but reliable even in the most difficult of times. Even in the middle of Zimbabwe’s election crisis in 2008, China was ready to deliver what Mugabe needed most – weapons. Such "a friend in need is a friend indeed."

The Pillars of Sino-African Relation

The strongest pillar of China’s ties with Africa is trade. According to China Monitor Issue 37 of February 2009, China emerged at the end of 2008 as Africa’s second single largest trading partner with trade totaling US$106.8 billion. This was more than the US$100 target which had been set earlier in 2007. Besides trade, aid and investment constitute important elements in this relationship. China’s presence is now very visible in the form of infrastructural projects throughout Africa. With more than 900 Chinese companies in Africa, the Chinese population in the continent now stands at one million.

China’s walk into Africa has not been easy. It almost cost Beijing the Olympic Games which China had so desperately fought for. China continues to be seen as the coach behind the likes of Mugabe and Bashir. The West sees China only in the context of Africa's natural resources. China has also paid a very high price in the form of lives lost in Africa. The challenges continue to mount. China’s ability to consolidate its gains in Africa and produce the fruits of a win-win relationship still remain to be seen.

The copyright of the article How China Lures Africa in International Affairs is owned by Tongkeh Joseph Fowale. Permission to republish How China Lures Africa in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.