Observers of international politics will be aware of self-interested developments in the attitudes of the UN Security Council towards Africa. Indeed, it’s not far off to what happened in Berlin during the reign of Bismarck in the late 19th century. It is a tussle that has already eaten deep into the political and economic life of the African continent.
The emergence of China as a big player in the south and west of Africa has challenged the politics of neo-colonialism. Moreover, a critical study of debates and commentary with regard to this Sino-African relationship highlights the discomfort it has prompted among western leaders. It makes me uncomfortable, too.
Ever since the communist revolution of the 1960s, China has sought to back-up its newfound superpower status by opening new frontiers of engagement with the developing world, especially in Asia and Africa. In more recent years, the Sino-African relationship has strengthened greatly as a result of China’s search for new sources of energy and raw materials to feed its fast growing economy.
Like Europe during the industrial revolution, China values the vitality of Africa’s resources. But at the same time, it seems China is also ignoring the untold damage that European colonialism wrought upon the continent, by liaising with African agents who masquerade as leaders. In this respect, China is merely following the now century-old western imperialistic blueprint.
Of course, it might not seem this way on the surface. In fact, China’s relationship with Africa may even be seen as a godsend. In China’s hunger for expansion to compete globally with the United States, its leaders have increased their bilateral relationships with major African powerhouses like Nigeria and South Africa, opening a potentially huge market for African exports – one of the most important being oil.
For instance, the Council on Foreign Relation’s Stephanie Hanson has posited that Angola exported about 465,000 barrels of oil per day to China in the first half of 2007. Nigeria, Sudan, Congo-Brazzaville and Equatorial Guinea are other countries that are oiling the gears of the Chinese economy – while China dangles the carrot of aid packages to entice more and more oil partners.
To cement these relationships, China invests in infrastructure and signs exploration and production deals in areas that the west has more-or-less ignored. And hand-in-hand with this has come an influx of low-cost consumer goods and billions of dollars’ worth of foreign exchange, giving formerly stagnant or faltering economies a much-needed boost.
But there is more to the Sino-African relationship than meets the eye. One major issue I find disturbing is China’s lack of democracy and attitude towards human rights. Countries like Zimbabwe and Sudan have learnt to be ruthless in silencing dissent, as China has been since Mao’s revolution. This is the aspect most Africans are worried about, especially since President Obama’s United States and its allies in the west are counterposed as advocates of democracy and minority rights in this new era of change.
Certainly Africa’s economy needs serious investment, in all sectors. But if we don’t take care where the money is coming from, and what implications it might have for our countries’ futures, Africa could be heading down a very dangerous path.
Ukachukwu Okorie is originally from Nigeria. Visit his website at www.olumouka.com
