Most Influential?
For China today, Africa seems poised to reprise an economic role that it played for its colonial masters, particularly in the Europe-excoriating account of African nationalists and theorists who saw "underdevelopment" as a transitive verb: exploited provider of raw materials that more developed countries needed to make themselves richer.
"I’m not saying that it’s right, just that Chinese investments are succeeding because they don’t set high benchmarks," the ambassador added. Sudan’s energy minister commented similarly: "With the Chinese, we don’t feel any interference in our Sudanese traditions, beliefs or politics or behaviors. Business is business."
China’s trade and investment in Africa must be kept in perspective. On one hand, Africa constitutes only about three percent of China’s global trade. On the other hand, China buys ten percent of sub-Saharan Africa’s exports and Africa provides China 32 percent of its oil imports. China is now Africa’s third largest trading partner after the US and France.
China and human rights...
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have been critical of Chinese support for countries like Sudan and Zimbabwe, which have serious human rights problems. China has significant oil investments in Sudan and political involvement that goes back to the 1970s.
China has sold significant quantities of arms, including military aircraft and helicopters, to Sudan in recent decades. This equipment helped fuel the civil war in the South and now plays a role in Darfur where crimes against humanity are taking place. China’s investment in Sudan’s oil industry is extensive and China relies on Sudan for about six percent of its imported oil.
Many in the West condemn China for blocking significant action against Sudan as a result of the crisis in Darfur (China has veto power in the U.N.). While China has carried water for Sudan in the UN, it has allowed watered-down resolutions against Sudan to move through the Security Council and may have been more helpful behind the scenes than is acknowledged.
But...
China has supported financially the African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur. Hu added he hopes Sudan will maintain dialogue with all parties in the conflict, adjust its position, and improve the humanitarian situation in the region. It is too early to tell how significant this apparent shift is in China’s position on Darfur.
Also...
Lack of Chinese concern for Africa’s environment has come under fire, especially in the case of the timber industry. China is the largest importer of forest products in the world. Most of the log exports from Africa originate in West and Central Africa; China purchased 42 percent of the exports from this region in 2003.
The environmental concern should not end with China’s role in the timber trade. At least one-half of all timber imports into China are processed and then exported as finished products. The United States is the largest market for China’s finished forest products, mainly hardwoods for furniture and hardwood plywood. There is no process in place to guarantee that only legal timber is being exported from China to the US.
Let's Not Forget...
The World Bank and IMF have expressed concern that Chinese financial support to countries like Kenya, Chad, and Angola has reduced their leverage in implementing economic policy reform and instituting comprehensive anti-corruption strategies. There are concerns about the ability to take a Chinese company to court when it is believed to have engaged in illegal practices.
Finally, at the grassroots level there seems to be growing anti-Chinese sentiment when large numbers of Chinese are employed on Chinese projects and as Chinese traders move increasingly into the African market. There are, for example, an estimated 30,000 Chinese migrants in Zambia and as many as 300,000 in South Africa.
Yeah, it's complicated...
...continue to part five, today.
All from:
http://www.workers.org/2006/world/darfur-0504/
http://www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/item/2007/0103/deli/delisle_africa.html
http://www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/commentary/data/ChinaAfricaEthics
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