Modus operandi of China’s African penetration

In Africa, China sees and uses opportunities to expand its markets, augment its diplomatic strength and diversify its energy resources, amongst other international relations. China’s modus operandi for developing relations with countries in Africa is deemed strategic. China engages in development projects, military assistance programmes and bilateral trade in order to foster cooperation with and […]

In Africa, China sees and uses opportunities to expand its markets, augment its diplomatic strength and diversify its energy resources, amongst other international relations. China’s modus operandi for developing relations with countries in Africa is deemed strategic. China engages in development projects, military assistance programmes and bilateral trade in order to foster cooperation with and later achieve the aim of building a dependence on Beijing.

The Chinese philosophy of mutual cooperation is typical of due respect and recognition of a country’s needs and wants. For example, “you have your tradition, your civilisation, your culture, your values, and we have ours. In a world of diverse sovereign powers, the only basis for international order is mutual respect. By so doing, there wouldn’t be “civilisation or cultural clash”.

The Chinese model of penetration has basically two perspectives; it stretches from development partnership to non-interference in other states’ affairs. China seems to be more interested in the reality of the partnership than dictating to smaller states what and what not to do.  

In the area of energy which China seems to have given more priority to in recent times, the countries in Africa from which China imports oil are Nigeria, Sudan, Angola, Algeria, Gabon, Cameroon, Libya and Egypt. Unlike many foreign companies that are unwilling to risk extracting oil on the African mainland and prefer drilling offshore, Chinese firms have no problem in that regard.

However, Beijing hopes to foster better relations with Nigeria and Angola along the same line as its relationship with Sudan. This year, China inked deals to undertake large public work projects in both countries, which are desperate for investment and assistance in non-hydrocarbon and other infrastructural sectors.

But China’s diplomatic concerns in Africa have evolved from trying to win friends and secure markets to developing strategies. The Chinese systematic penetration has even gained acceptability from the continent’s development stakeholders. At the 2009 World Economic Forum for Africa, Lui Guijin, China’s special representative for African Affairs, said, “The link between China and Africa goes beyond mere trade. It includes China’s commitment to infrastructural development. China has now become Africa’s partner”.

According to Jiang Jieqing, the Chairman, Board of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), “China and Africa trade flow rose 10-fold between 2001 and 2008. The Chinese investment in Africa is long-term and strategic.”

According to an economist, Dr Bulus Tungga, “China has shown greater interest in its African allies than the other superpowers. While the U.S. and European investors are primarily interested in only the most lucrative enterprises like oil and diamonds, China has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in African infrastructure. From port facilities, rail links, power plants, telecommunications facilities and weapons factories, Chinese companies are working on projects in Africa that most Western firms would shy away from.”

“Occasionally, the investments may show a decent cash return, but more often than not, they are mainly meant to help Beijing gain influence in a particular country. The strategy here is to make friends that would feel very comfortable dealing with them, thus becoming almost a sole partner; and dependence would then set in’’

In his view, Donald Kaberuka of the African Development Bank stated that “the bilateral relationship between China and Africa has infused energy into Africa’s economic development, thereby enabling the continent to be more rapidly involved in global economic growth. Africa needs China and vice versa. China’s contribution to African growth has amounted to 20 per cent, thus bringing benefits to the continent. We hope it is sustained”.

In another dimension, even though the United States president is beginning to recognise the need for a partnership with China, some Americans feel otherwise. Obama was quoted as describing China as a ‘strategic partner’ but some optimistic Americans believe that even though the U.S. has lost some industrial capacity, the country is still better than China. According to George Friedman, “America still manufactures more than China and Japan put together. The U.S. still produces 25 per cent of the world’s output.”

Arguing that the American output is larger than the combined gross domestic product of the three largest economies of Japan, China and Germany,   George claims that, “If we grow at 2.5 per cent a year, China would have to grow at 8.2 per cent just to keep the absolute gap steady. It will take generations for the Chinese to catch up,” he said. He further posited that, “China has a population of 1.3 billion people of which that number, 600 million, have an income under $1,000 a year. Another 440 million have $1,000 to $2,000 income annually. Only 60 million people have an income of $20,000 or more a year”.