Chinese Image in Ethiopia, Africa: Imperialists?

By Araya Kebede Araya*

Chinese Image in Ethiopia, Africa: Imperialists?

  “China has been pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace, and observing the purposes of the UN Charter and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in handling its relations with all the countries in the world, including African countries. Based on these guidelines, we have provided development assistance to Africa to the best of our capacity, which is genuine, selfless and transparent. We support Africa for its democratization and judicial building, but as China never accepts any foreign country to impose its will on China, we will never impose our own will on African countries.”

                                                    Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Mr. Lin Lin 

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Introduction

Imperialism is a policy of systematic domination and exploitation of a country or an empire. It is the policy of extending a nation’s authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political hegemony over other nations as has been the trend being utterly followed by virtually all Western countries against the rest of the world until recently. Is China exercising it now over African countries?    

The overall interaction between China and Africa that had attracted attentions of academicians, politicians and the media at large had led to different interpretations. The varying views can roughly be grouped either into (1) mutual support or (2) seeking a disguised neo-colonialist adventure.

The first three decades of their interactions was characterized by reciprocal assistance reflected in terms of China’s support to African countries in their struggles for independence, anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism, and African countries support to China’s drive for recognition and representation at the United Nations Organization. (Ketema, 2009) So, is the country once helping African countries on their fight against independence, anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism exercising imperialism of its own way?

China repeating Western legacy in Africa?

There are more than few voices which allege that China is a pursuing a neo-colonialist policy, just repeating what the Europeans were doing, buying up cheap resources and selling higher-priced manufactured goods.

An article by Carmody and Omusu entitled Competing Hegemons? Chinese versus American geo-economic strategies in Africa, published in Political Geography 26 (2007) investigates the nature of Chinese and American investment and trade in Africa; the ways in which these governments view the continent, and explores the economic and political impacts of enhanced geo-economic competition between the West and the East there. This research claims to have found that current trends are reworking the colonial trade structure, strengthening authoritarian states, and fuelling conflict. However, there are also progressive dimensions to the current conjuncture which could be improved on with more robust international coordination and action.

While the revival of economic growth which this has brought to the continent is potentially progressive in its impacts, it has largely been confined to enclaves, and upper classes state elites. Also, while the international community has played a vital role in ending wars in Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo, among others; oil investment has fuelled local conflict and made many states less accountable to their populations.

Chinese practices in Africa represents ‘‘business as usual,’’ rather than a radical break with the past (Klare & Volman, 2006). Because of state involvement, Chinese companies are better positioned to make short-term losses for long-term gains. For instance, the representative of China’s state-owned construction company in Ethiopia revealed that it was instructed to bid low on tenders, without regard to profit, and China’s largest telecoms manufacturer gifted equipment to Telkom Kenya (Lyman, 2005). However, China is merely following a very traditional path established by Europe, Japan and the United States: offering poor countries comprehensive and exploitative trade deals combined with aid’’ (Pan, 2006).

Chinese companies have other competitive advantages too in that they are often willing to pay bribes and under-the-counter signing bonuses (Catholic Relief Services, 2003). While this was a standard practice in the past, China is now seen to be creating a ‘‘neo-imperialistic dynamic in the hemisphere’’ and by displacing domestic manufacturers through imports, possibly deepening class disparities and corruption. Africa has recently been hit with a Chinese ‘‘Textile tsunami’’ (Asia News, 2004)

While the influx of Chinese capital might be attractive, Adama Gaye, a Senegalese author and commentator (China-Africa: The Dragon and the Ostrich, 2006) warns that China knows what it wants from Africa and "has come with a strategy." Africa, on the contrary, he believes, has not done the same homework. There is no strategic continental approach that African countries have adopted. No think tank, no task force, no inclusion of Chinese language into universities, no coordinated approach. Finally he proposes that this should be the role of the African Union. The question, indeed, is what is Africa doing in the face of these challenges? Nothing! It's as if African countries are rushing to China, bowl in hand. And China naturally is in its best position to take advantage, whereas African countries are almost powerless and just expecting China to be the new messiah.

Gaye compares the renewed global interest in Africa's raw materials and markets with suitors lining up to court the continent. China, hungry for all the natural resources it can get, is determined to win Africa's hand, he says. China is in a position to be in the heart of Africa. And with the West, they are losing out. If Africa plays its cards well, there are opportunities to be employed. He thinks Africa has never been in a better position. But it's up to the continent to make the most of the marriage with China.

In defense of China

A related issue of discussion is if China really respects its word of non-intervention in any country’s internal affairs. China is involved in peace keeping operations in six Sub-Saharan African countries. For the purposes of comparison, while China has around 1500 peace keepers in Africa and the US has only four, though the latter has the largest share in terms of money and materials donations.

Will Chinese non-intervention policy be kept in-tact as some of its investments are encountering major problems in Africa? It does not mean that China and Africa need not help each other in the international plane. The Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia (in an interview conducted by VOA, Amharic Service) reiterates that China does not attach any conditions to its aid to African countries. Nor does it interfere in any other manner in the internal affairs of any country. Any aid and cooperation has no relation to politics. Although the direct monetary aid to Africa is low, the two parties trust each other. China does not care if an African country is democratic, respects human rights, etc or not. Both parties seem happy with it. Many African countries see China as an alternative source of funding and a good partner on providing cheap products.  

Unlike the Western countries, China does not impose its political system or values on other countries. Nor does it allow other countries to impose theirs on China. China focuses on general social welfare and economic development as opposed to individual rights. So, China does put the precondition of democratic election to offer aid and conduct investment in any country. First, China itself has no such system. Second; due to its foreign policy of non-intervention, Chinese government believes that it is up to a given government to follow its own choice of administrative system. Some African leaders are happy with Chinese policy of non-intervention as they are “sick” of the West’s naggings.

China's reluctance to delve into domestic affairs has raised concerns internationally, but many African leaders are excited about the desperately-needed roads, hospitals, schools, stadiums, dams and other major projects. But if China's business interests and citizens in Africa are increasingly caught in the crossfire of homegrown disputes, Beijing may be pushed into a more active role in the continent's political affairs, commented June Teufel Dreyer, a professor of Political Science at the University of Miami. She thinks they have never been uninvolved but this is a good reason to nudge them forward to more involvement.

The aforementioned and other more than few writers, politicians, media people, etc have treated the issues of China’s effort to politically influence African countries to adopt the ideological development advocated by China. Nevertheless, Ketema, based upon his research result claims that we have not seen any country which had fully adopted socialism as its mode of development exactly similar to China. Many Western scholars and the media treated the historical development with partial bias. Most of them approached China-Africa interactions in terms of Chinese interest and drive to impose her political will on African countries in the guise of supporting their independent movement.

However, researches show that relations between China and Africa in general were reflected in terms of complementary mutual support both politically and economically. Recently they were able to develop successful political and economic linkages and had been reinforcing China-Africa ties within the arena of contemporary international relations.

What African leaders think: Taking Meles as an example!

I think it is not difficult to imagine what African leaders think about China. Virtually all are happy with the presence of the Chinese in Africa in multifaceted sectors. Many of them believe that China is not repeating the history of the past colonizers. A good example is PM Melese Zenawi of Ethiopia. He does not think China is looting Africa but believes the Asian country cares about long-term economic cooperation.

Zenawi refuted Western media's allegation that China is dumping low-priced and poor-quality goods to Africa just noting that China is selling good-quality goods at relatively low prices and these goods suits the African market. According to Xinhua news agency, he said 90% of the goods in Addis Ababa’s biggest open market – MERCATO - were made in China. In fact, all markets of the all corners of the country sell Chinese products. These cheap products (not all necessarily of poor quality) improved living standards and provide alternatives of supply. There are people who say the flood of Chinese goods will undermine Africa’s national industry. But the premier does not think this is a problem reasoning that if one cannot compete with the global market, one has to get it from the global market. There is no alternative. That is globalization. He even makes the following interesting remarks: “the price is good. The bulk is good. So they compete with other foreign goods, and they compete with domestic goods as well. Who wins the competition? It is this product.”

However, as a matter of fact it is observed that cheap and mass-produced Chinese imports are flooding African markets and crippling some local industries, including textiles. Moreover, Africa cannot compete with the eye-catching Chinese fabrics and Chinese-made African prints that sell at a fraction of the price. Factories are closing down, and jobs are being lost.

I think many will agree with the following remarks uttered by the premier as he defends China against the Western allegation that the former is looting Africa. African countries were selling their natural resources to the global market before China came to their market. And they were not getting good prices for those goods. Rather, African countries are in a better position. China is buying these commodities with better prices. African countries want to sell their products at higher prices and buy at lower prices. China is providing this opportunity. If others provide a similar opportunity, Africans could seize this opportunity.

Compared to China’s involvement to the Western ones, unlike some Western countries, China's cooperation with African countries is based on boosting sustainable development in Africa. When Chinese firms are involved in tapping natural resources in Africa, they contribute to the continent's development at the same time by way of refunding the profits it has earned by reinvesting in infrastructural construction. Moreover, while mining oil and minerals in Africa, it pays much attention to the protection of local environment. So in summary, Africans are very comfortable to see China's increasing influence in Africa. So for Africa, the influence of China is not a source of concern or danger. It does not seem to have an element of imperialism. African countries are happy to see the rise of China.

In this line of argument on African resources, according to The Guardian, Liu Naiya of the Chinese Academy of Social Science believes that the West is hypocritical. Having long exploited Africa for resources and given little in return, except lectures. The big difference is that China does not attach political strings. On the contrary, when Western countries offer aid they usually insist on things like multi-party democracy, human right records, press freedom etc. But China’s aid is pure-hearted.

Still on this side of the war of opinions, an interview by ABBI Weekly - Ethiopia (2006/12/06) with Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Mr. Lin Lin touches the issue as a passing remark. The question was: Some western countries have been loudly wondering about "China's hidden agenda in Africa". You have been accused of turning a blind eye to human rights abuses in some African countries and refusing to lay down governance conditionality on your African trading partners. For the Ambassador they are simply allegations and absolutely unfounded. He explained: in a long time of history, Africa had been subject to colonialism or invasion. Bound by historical constraints and others, African countries have difficulties, challenges and even problems. But it is groundless and ignorant, if not ridiculous, to blame them on China.

China has been pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace, and observing the purposes of the UN Charter and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in handling its relations with all the countries in the world, including African countries. Based on these guidelines, it has provided development assistance to Africa to the best of its capacity, which is genuine, selfless and transparent. It supports Africa for its democratization and judicial building, but as China never accepts any foreign country to impose its will on China, it is unlikely to see China impose its own will on African countries.

When it comes to human rights and good governance, it should be noted that China and Africa have long maintained exchanges on these issues. But the exchanges are held in a spirit of equality and mutual respects, with a view to drawing on each other's strength for common progress.

The Western media in general has not been fair with the Africa-China relations. They seem to lack the sight to see things on their positive side. Another Ethiopian authority – Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin – addresses this issue. Some negative reports by certain international media on Africa-China strategic relations of cooperation are not correct, and the international society should rightly treat the relations. The relationship between African countries and China would benefit international community and should not be retorted. He said many of the Western media reports on China-Africa Cooperation are "negative and tainted". It is "absolutely not true" to label African leaders as "dictators seeking new homeland in China" and "shunning their responsibilities on human rights". Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing has also addressed this allegation. He said he was certain the correspondents who wrote such reports did not catch the essence of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence or the UN Charter. Even he adds a bold remark that they found it difficult to understand the essence and importance of China-Africa cooperation

African countries and China are jointly pursuing the common value concept of mankind, including human rights. Although the partnership between Africa and China is not perfect, the two sides are capable of correctly dealing with all kinds of problems including the problem of governance.

The Sino-African partnership is brand new and of strategic importance and based on mutual respect and mutual responsibility.  The relationship is "predictable" and comes without any political strings. The new type of strategic partnership helps Africa score success in fighting poverty and overcoming difficulties in economic and social development. It also facilitates the development of China. Furthermore, the peaceful win-win development of China and African continent will surely benefit the world.

On top of what Seyoum has remarked, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing assures that the friendly cooperation between China and Africa is aimed at promoting world peace and development and will not impair or threaten the interests of any other country. China-African cooperation is based on the respect for each other's territorial integrity and non-inference in others' internal affairs. For him peace and stability is the most important one exemplifying that China has participated in 12 of the UN's peacekeeping missions in Africa since 1996 and have sent more than 3,000 peacekeepers.

Conclusion

Imperialism is a policy of systematic domination and exploitation of a country or an empire. Imperialism means one nation imposing its will on others through the threat or actual use of force. If imperialism is understood this way, so far we can safely conclude that there is no evidence of China repeating the historical legacies of the Europeans, Americans and other colonizers-imperialists. It could be argued that imperialism can have many forms but this or that way, it is about imposing one’s interests against the will of the imposed. Can we say China is exercising hidden agendas that are beyond understanding of the African leaders, who are very much hand and glove with Beijing? As long as China truly adheres to the UN Charter and the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence; no conditions are attached or imposed to its aid, trade and investment towards the second largest Continent’s countries; no imposition of its political system or values on other countries; it requires twisting facts on the ground to name the PRC a modern imperialist.    

Araya Kebede Araya, LL B., MA, LL. M (PROLAW)

Lecturer in Law, Mekelle University, College of Law and Governance

Ethiopia, Mekelle - Adi Haqi Campus

Cell phone: +39 3896872473 (Rome, Italy), +251 923 771883 (Ethiopia)

E-mail: araya57k@gmail.com, aaraya@luc.edu

Blog: http://lawfordevelopment.blogspot.com/

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