China Law Blog

ah ha,so what do you think in detail about the relationship between CHINA and AFRICA?

Thanks for your post on my blog. Not sure if I entirely agree with your assessment here though. There was a recent article in the Wall Street Journal (Phillips, Michael M.. "Bush's Aid Policy Prods Countries". March 14, 2007) about US policy with respect to some of the "strings" that have been attached with respect to the promotion of good governance and basic ideas as transparency, a crack down on corruption and property rights.

Sure, many of Africa's governments want money without any "strings" attached - who wouldn't? It's in this context that one should view the welcoming of China's presence by some leaders in Africa. So while I agree directionally with the idea that there's no free lunch, I wonder if a misdiagnosis of the "problem" if one wants to view it as that, would lead to the wrong prescriptions from western governments. I would wonder if this shouldn't simply be seen as a continuation in a series of long standing and bad policies that may or may not survive once your average African in their respective countries decide to get rid of some of these despots and autocrats.

In the meantime, by refusing to deal with some of these governments, the Americans (and other western governments) avoid being called complicit by activists as has been the case in countries like Sudan and Zimbabwe where China has been more than happy to take the place of western firms.

Thanks for the link, Dan. Credit for the post goes to Bianca, who emailed it to me exactly as it stands. Great having readers like that. All I added was the headline.

I'm taking a wait-and-see view on China's Africa policy. I'm skeptical of Beijing's intentions, since it has the ability to undermine international efforts to isolate regimes that really ought to be pariahs, like Sudan and Zimbabwe, and has been willing to do so.

Then again, some infrastructure could do wonders for the continent. I keep thinking about China's project of connecting its southern provinces with Southeast Asian ports by road and rail. One the best roads I traveled in my recent trip through that area was in northern Laos, going from the Chinese border to Luang Nam Tha. It benefits China, sure, but that's not a bad thing if it helps the receiving countries in a lasting way.

China's benefit to Africa has its limits, and China does involve itself heavily in Africa's internal affairs. Look how China keeps the UN and even the AU out of Darfur, and China's interference in Zimbabwe's elections.

bubu --

I have truly not thought all that much about it. But, I guess I would say I am troubled by China's relationship with the Sudan and with Mugabe in Zimbabwe, yet at the same time, I certainly do not fault China for seeking to secure resources and for seeking to extend its influence.

Mr. Wan --

I think you may be attributing more to my comment than I intended. I meant it more from the perspective of the African countries than from China. I just do not believe that Africa will not have to pay back this aid in one form or another.

Chris --

I agree with you on all counts. In fact, I think we Westerners sometimes look too much at motives, rather than effect. If someone gives a starving kid food (without any expectation of the kid doing anything in return), it is a good thing, virtually no matter what. So what if the person did it because their own kid had run away because they were a terrible parent. So what if the person did it simply so they good feel better about themselves or increase their perceived chance of going to heaven. The bottom line is the bottom line and it is a good act. Indeed, I am of the view that motives are nearly always mixed in any event.

Action speaks.

Chris --

I agree with you on all counts. In fact, I think we Westerners sometimes look too much at motives, rather than effect. If someone gives a starving kid food (without any expectation of the kid doing anything in return), it is a good thing, virtually no matter what. So what if the person did it because their own kid had run away because they were a terrible parent. So what if the person did it simply so they good feel better about themselves or increase their perceived chance of going to heaven. The bottom line is the bottom line and it is a good act. Indeed, I am of the view that motives are nearly always mixed in any event.

Action speaks.

nanheyangrouchuan --

Yes, see my comments above.

The problem is that if you don't look at consequences and just look at motives, you might end up with a situation which is worse than if you had done nothing.

Also, there is a hidden message in attaching strings which is that Western countries are basically saying that they know how to run African countries better than the Africans do. If you deal with someone from a point of view of self-interest, there is an implied amount of respect. I'm working with you for my self-interest, you have to look out for yourself, and I trust that you can handle your own affairs better than I can.

China's intentions in Africa are largely selfish, and there is a refreshing amount of honesty in that. The other interesting thing is sometimes the selfish thing turns out to be the right thing to do, whereas the altruistic thing turns out to be the wrong thing to do.

The problem with pretending that your interests are other than what they are is that it just makes things more complex. The trouble with altruism is that altruism has its limits. To raise Africa to first world standards of living is going to take tens of trillions of dollars of investment and at least a century. That sort of investment is not going to come via altruism.

The other problem with trying to run someone else's life and politics is that you get sick of it and leave long before anything useful happens. The story of African development is going to be one that lasts at least a hundred years, and it is going to be one that is largely written by the Africans. If you are an outsider, you have the option of packing up and going home once you find out how difficult things are going to be. If someplace is your home, you don't have that option, and you are going to be intent on making it better because you don't have any other choice.

Mr. Wang --

I generally agree with you, but you are completely ignoring two things:

1. Darfur type situations.
2. Few African countries are even close to being democratic so repressive regimes use indiscriminate aid to stay in power.