SID-Washington Chapter Event:
“China in Africa: What does the rise of another global power mean to the current trends in development?”
October 30th, 2007
On October 30th SID-Washington hosted the Chapter Event, “China in Africa: What does the rise of another global power mean to the current trends in development?” The panel was moderated by Carol Lancaster, Director of the Mortara Center for International Studies at Georgetown University. Panelists included Sun Baohong, Counselor of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China; His Excellency Ombeni Y. Sefue, Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United States; Ambassador David Shinn, Adjunct Professor at GWU Ellliott School of International Affairs; and Karen Turner, Director of the USAID Office of Development Partners.
Ambassador David Shinn and Karen Turner presented the general trends of the growing Chinese influence in Africa. Ambassador Shinn stressed that China has three main priorities in Sino-African relations. The first priority is China’s access to resources in Africa. The second is to build international political support. Ambassador Shinn highlighted the fact that it is very important for China to gain support in the United Nations. Currently, forty-eight African countries support China while only five support Taiwan. The third priority is to develop an export base for Chinese goods in the future.
For African governments, China offers a new development model. Unlike its Western counterparts, that provide aid to African countries on the conditions of liberalization and democracy, the Chinese government offers aid to African countries without any conditions and forgives African debts without intervening in domestic affairs. The sheer size of Chinese development loans is also an attractive alternative to smaller, conditional loans from the World Bank and other Western donors. Ambassador Shinn noted that Chinese development aid focuses mainly on infrastructure and construction (e.g., roads, schools and stadiums) and involves the use of Chinese labor, as opposed to creating jobs for Africans. China is also more inclined to take risks and is willing to work with all African governments, regardless of corruption or human rights issues.
Karen Turner discussed the current trends in aid effectiveness and China’s role as a non-traditional donor investing in Africa. It was noted that most donor countries focus on assisting developing countries in reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which focus on poverty reduction, health, and education. Alternatively, China finances African development by fostering trade opportunities and building infrastructure, with less of a focus on health, education, and governance initiatives.
Ms. Turner also noted that China is not significantly represented in traditional donor dialogues. More established donors hope to engage China in discussing concerns about cancellation of African debt, lending policies, and loan conditionality, specifically around corruption.
Counselor Sun Baohong noted that China is very interested in both the stability and economic development of Africa. After mentioning that China and Africa share similar experiences with Western colonization, Counselor Baohong noted that China launched over 900 projects throughout Africa that were focused on infrastructure, energy, trade, education, and health care systems. China has built schools, roads and power plants; sent its doctors, teachers, and peacekeepers to Africa; and its companies have invested over $5 billion in African industry.
His Excellency Ombeni Y. Sefue agreed with the Chinese perspective expressed by Counselor Baohong and outlined two events significant to Africa’s development. The first is the end of Cold War, which encouraged Africans to evaluate, and begin to reform, their governance structures. The second is the emergence of China as a major economic power. Ambassador Sefue commented on how this phenomenon strengthens both Sino-Africa trading relations and South-South solidarity, and noted that Africa enjoys a close relationship with China due to their shared histories and similar struggles with colonialism and globalization. He also noted that China is regarded by Africans as loyal to its commitments and respectful of the African continent. Chinese investment and aid in Africa help build Africa’s trade capacity which leads to poverty reduction.
Although many argue that China’s primary interest in Africa is the abundance of natural resources, Ambassador Sefue commented that Western countries are also interested in Africa’s natural resources and that China’s true interest is the long-term engagement as business partner and friend. Chinese investment, which involves dialogue with African countries, is a welcome alternative to Western donors, which pressure recipient countries and tie aid to meeting certain criteria.
Two of the most interesting questions after the presentation focused on immigration and democratic governance issues. The panel was asked about the implications of increased Chinese immigration to Africa. Ambassador Shinn mentioned three groups of Chinese communities moving to Africa: diplomatic officials and technical personnel directing development projects in Africa, contracted unskilled construction workers and laborers, and Chinese businessmen (numbering over 400,000) who are looking for a market to sell their goods and a better life in Africa. The first two groups are in Africa on a temporary basis while the last group could be there from 10 to 20 years before eventually returning to China.
Another question asked about governance in relation to development in African countries. The question raised the issue of whether Chinese development efforts in Africa are countering Western insistence on good governance. Oil wealth (i.e., the “resource curse”) in some African countries results in problems of bad governance and corruption. For example, the Nigerian government is highly dysfunctional and Angola’s electricity infrastructure is sorely lacking.