Such views, however, fail to recognize the growing opposing to China’s presence in Africa. Has Africa surrendered its hard-won independence to China? Or has China successfully overwhelmed Africa with its financial might?
Choosing between China and the West
Africa’s choice of China over the West did not appear as a difficult decision. The simplest explanation for this volte-face was the evil of colonialism which left Africa seriously devastated in every sense of the word. For many Africans, relations with the West have been characterized by nothing less than exploitation, subordination, hypocrisy and double standards. This explains the swiftness with which Africa “turned east.”
Another important reason why Africa rejected the West was the power of Chinese money. Since the end of the cold war, Africa as a continent was completely abandoned to itself. The entire 1980s and 90’s were seen as lost decades for Africa. This situation was aggravated by the economic recession in Europe during this period. The lure of Chinese “soft loans” was therefore seen as a bailout for many African countries.
Why China’s Presence is Becoming Worrisome to Africans
Modern Sino-African relations date back to the 1950s. This relationship, however, reached climax at the beginning of the 21st century. After only about a decade of heated courtship, cracks are beginning to emerge. While China’s economic ties with Africa have been hailed as positive, the fruits have been concentrated in very few hands. The adverse effects of the relationship have been passed down to the masses in the form of unemployment and its attendant consequences.
As African leaders continue to negotiate trade deals with China, more Chinese companies spring up in the continent, displacing enfant African industries and rendering thousands unemployed. In many parts of Africa, many Chinese companies are noted for making little contributions to their host economies. This is because Chinese workers prefer to import everything they need, including food from China. In cases where Africans are employed as in mining, salaries are abusively low and safety conditions poor. This has been the cause of freguent anti-Chinese riots in Zambia.
On the political side, China’s support for notorious dictators is seen as an impediment to democracy in Africa. China has not only sold arms and given economic support to Africa’s tyrants, but continues to shield them from any form of pressure. China defends its relations with these dictators on grounds of not meddling in the internal affairs of sovereign states.
How Africans Oppose China’s Presence
Because of their easy money from Beijing, very few African leaders consider China as a present or future threat. However, former South African President Thabo Mbeki openly criticized China’s exploitative trade with Africa in 2007. “The challenge is that you could … develop a relationship between China and the African continent, which in reality isn’t different from the relationship that developed between Africa and the former colonizing powers,” he old Financial Times.
The African masses are the ones who feel the full weight of China’s growing presence in Africa. It is at this level that opposition has been fiercest. This opposition is beginning to take very violent forms characterized by attacks on Chinese citizens in Africa. Chinese citizens have met brutal death in Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan. Five were kidnapped in Nigeria in January 2007.
The increasing number of Chinese citizens in Africa continues to pose an economic threat to Africa’s masses. “… it is possible to find Chinese foot massage parlors in Chad, doughnut hawkers in Cameroon and vegetable producers in Khartoum’s market,” says William Wallis of Financial Times of January 24, 2008. This single factor explains the anger and fears of many Africans against the “invading” Chinese.
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