Finally a come back.
This is the inception of the story. China’s fast growing trade in Africa sure made a lot of new before it hosted Olympics. The journalist there sure did not like this romance. China is a communist country and it is trading vigorously in Africa securing natural resources. Moreover it is trading with bloody dictator led countries too. Thus the West’s deprive-them-of-all-facilities-if-they-are-not-a-democracy-except-yes-for-china philosophy goes down the drain. Of course any westerner will find it offending.
But from then on the way it came in media, it appeared to be always biased. The better side can be found here. The book in discussion in this article however draws a rather rosy picture, Though the author doesn’t ignore the malicious motives of China that actually went to backburner there. Yes, I too agree that China’s interest will sure profit Africa a lot. True, Africa is not poor, people there are. It is poorly managed (- Johnson-Sirleaf). Not letting the people their be a part of world trade deprives them of many opportunities. West sure provides aids, but not doing trades with most of the countries just because they have bad rulers leaves the people poor. China’s policy to go with open arms has definitely helped people there. Of course the rulers too. But I guess the state Africa is in just aids will not suffice. to make it stand up on her own legs its people should be empowered. Economies are improving, infrastructure is better and all thanks to China.
What I concentrated on is just ‘Arms deals’, because of my interest in reading about Darfur, Congo and Sierra Leones etc. of Africa. I am worried because China’s trade also includes arms and those are sold to many groups in war-torn states without discrimination. Thus the civil wars their never stop. Agreed, China is not the only country doing that but cheap Chinese arms a helping a lot of these wars… Arms deals and civil unrests/ terrorism/ naxalism can be easily understood by watching Lord of War.
Finally The Economist came out with a worthy debate. Balanced and from Africa, yeah finally…
Now my ‘do paise’ on the topic.
Should we be worried about it? Yes, not just India but the world should be. What are China’s long term motives? Some sort of neo-colonising tactics, or something better?
At the surface you may agree with what was the outcome of The Economist debate. In fact the economy today China has is someway contributed to the trade with Japan and the loans Japan provided. Similarly China is trading with African countries and providing loans to them. Hence, we may expect the African nations to become tomorrow’s China. But all is not that rosy. In a way Greece went bankrupt,financial crisis in Mexico or even budget deficit in California can be related here. The way I see it connected is that China will make them pay is via natural resources. But loan spirals will keep these nations trapped. One advantage will be that Africans will get employed. But China is sending a lot of Chinese there. True that equally good number of Africans are coming to China and China has provided excellent education offers for Africans, but Africans coming to China won’t hurt China as much Chinese going and working in Africa will hurt Africa. Moreover cheap dumping of Chinese products which China is really good at will hurt local firms a lot. They simply won’t get a level playing field to compete with Chinese products. Now whether the African poor choose Chinese cheap but low quality product over moderately priced quality products manufactured locally is to be researched and one needs statistical conclusion. But China can dump quality products too at price lower than the African manufacturers can afford. Few days back few Algerians killed some Chinese in a spat similar to MNS attacking Bhaiyyas in Maharashtra. I thought China will mean business only and no shrewdness when I read the news of them denying further loans to Zimbabwe till they pay back. But now they are back in old business.
Yeah we shall not expect China to be altruistic after all, but what’s the point of Chinese companies trading there by building stadiums and palaces for rulers. But all is not that bad. Many dams and other good infrastructure is being done there. Hence one may conclude that finally Africa getting infra and getting to participate in world trade is reason enough to let China play there aggressively. After all West never provided them any option and China is the only way out for growth. Yes these countries will suffer in long run if the power-hungry bloody rulers keep poorly managing them. But the economically empowered may now dream of different Africa. At least the hope will rise now. But Africa has to build itself before China runs out of African resources, which might not be too far looking at the aggressive trading of China.
Now Africa is not the only place huge mass of Chinese are spreading into. Russia and central-east Asian countries too are facing this problem but they too are helpless. The way Siberian forests are being ruined by China are shocking. But one can hardly help when these countries are not helping themselves. But how much can the citizen help when officials are highly and overtly corrupt. (China seems to be the 21st most bribe paying country. Yeah we are ahead in 19th position according to BPI 2008 by Transparency International.)
I won’t say very far-fetched or very distant future is that of not only Chinafrica, but soon China-half-of-world. A selfish country exhausting the world. Okay that’s far-fetched I agree :p But the point is that we need to be cautious. The directly affected countries should be extra carful and citizens there should bring about revolutions to save themselves. After all China saved itself from Japanese loans by a manufacturing/industrial revolution.
India is making quite a progress in Africa too. But India has been doing it silently. Yes if India can provide a China like option to Africa, may be few countries can save themselves. India will benefit immensely too. Yeah but are we hearing the warning bell?
PS: Anjana’s mention about the topic in IO class brought my attention to this. Giving her due credit here.
PS: My knowledge is politics is limited. But growing up in an argumentative Indian environment where senior members of family and friends discussed politics and state of affairs regularly over tea and declared there view and proposed solution and sometimes lost-hope-against-the-system-and-hence-no-solution made me write this article. Pleas inform me with your comments and do Google to check the validity of different anecdotes and events or issues discussed.
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