Human rights concerns raised as China and Africa bond economically and politically, while not to be dismissed, come mostly from economic rivals whose own democratic records leave much to be desired, they say.
"Investments from China suffer similar defects than investments from other countries," South African Institute for International Affairs trade research fellow Peter Draper told AFP.
"It is not the only country interested in African resources."[...]
China has been extending its financial footprint in Africa, a source of many of the commodities it needs for economic expansion, including oil.
Concerns are regularly raised about deepening political exchanges between two regions sharing a vehement anti-imperialist stance and some undemocratic features.
While some African nations, including South Africa, are fearful of becoming mere raw material suppliers for Chinese growth, Beijing has denied suggestions it would become the continent's next coloniser.[...]
"It has become quite an open secret that China is becoming what European countries were in Africa in the last century," he told AFP.
But China was perceived by Africa as a more benign trading partner than the continent's former colonial masters, even though its democratic deficiencies could make it easier for Chinese companies and parastatals to exploit resources recklessly.[...]
He said Africa was in dire need of investment, wherever it came from, to grow exports, reduce the trade deficit and pay off debt.
Africa's generally positive attitude towards China's rising profile was partly due to it being "thoroughly sick of the West and its lecturing on what to do to develop," Draper added.[...]
"Some are so grateful for investment they are oblivious to its consequences."
These included China's support for "despots and autocrats" like the governments of Sudan and Zimbabwe to the detriment of the citizenry.
The ADB says African trade with China rose from 10 billion dollars in 2000 to over 40 billion dollars last year.
"China is well on track to become Africa's third largest trading partner in the near future." [...]
"Developed countries deal with oil producing countries all the time that are not necessarily democratic. Why is that not an issue?"
Although, it's no big secret, a lot of countries almost always act in self interest, could they have a alternate motive? Well, yes they would. As far as this situation goes, it almost breaks my heart to see an entire continent struggling to get on it's feet and stand alone. After hundreds of years of colonization, things have been somewhat of a roller coster facing a series of ups and downs.
Chinas role, although it maybe benefical to Africa at this time, is a good thing but what will happen in the long term? When many countries first gained independence from European countries there was something in the air called hope, so much that the entire world could feel it.
Now it's still there, but hard to feel when poverty, curruption, and death is all us Amricans see on the news. I wonder if something like that would happen to Western countries, would we be able to hold on to something, to believe that things will get better, maybe not in our lifetime but someday? Or will we just disappear with the millions who came before us?
Greed and power, why do we need it? Will China end up helping more than any Western country would ever dream? Are there countries in the west, including us, sitting and waiting in the background watching from a distance, waiting to take moe resources and more power?
Or will finally we will see a African country in the G8 in the future? I hope so. This is something that will take selflessness to even try and attempt to fix but sadly I don't know if many countries have that in them, especially not ours.
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