More China in Africa: collaboration or colonialism?

There was a second session on Africa at the Achebe Colloquium this morning.  Here is my effort to capture main points.

Tijan Sallah, World Bank:  Africa is doing well economically, because of Chinese Brazilian trade and investment and because of improved policies within Africa.

Richard Dowden, Royal African Society:  China has been good for Africa economically.  Western companies moved back in to compete and to subcontract to the Chinese.  Africa has been growing ever since The Economist declared the continent hopeless.   China has no mission to change Africa.  Africans can play off Chinese against the West, freeing Africa from colonial legacy.  Problems for the Chinese:  political role at the UN, lack of employment for Africans in Chinese projects, illegal immigration of Chinese to Africa, Chinese purchases of land and indiscriminate arms trading.

Mark Wells, Human Rights Watch:  In Zambia, Chinese are good investors but bad employers.  They have purchased and revived copper mines, but conditions of employment (health and safety standards, hours, pay) are deplorable.  Result is many strikes and some improvements.  Effective regulation is lacking.  It is the African governments that need to protect worker rights.  When there is enforcement, the Chinese respond appropriately.

Muna B. Ndulo, Cornell:  Chinese have no colonial history in Africa and supported liberation struggles.  Africa has benefited from higher commodity prices and Chinese trade and investment.  The Chinese are doing what others do.  The issue is how Africa can avoid squandering the benefits.  In Zambia, regulation is weak not because of the Chinese but because of the period of nationalization of the mines.  The Zambians now have to rebuild capacity to regulate.  Africa needs improved governance.

Brent Huffman, Northwestern: His documentary film showed the Chinese in Senegal enterprising and successful but preferring to spend time within their own community and importing many needs from China.  Ordinary Senegalese are unhappy with cheap, low quality Chinese goods, but official Senegal welcomes the Chinese with open arms.

Tony Gambino, former USAID mission director, Democratic Republic of Congo:  Collaboration, yes, but for whom and for what?  China came into DRC in a big way after 2006.  Focus is on commercial benefit (metals) with tied loans for social or infrastructure projects, repaid by profits from commercial activity.  Unlike Western companies, Chinese build infrastructure far from their mining interests.  DRC presidency benefits from the Chinese activity, contravening World Bank-sponsored mining code.  But in the end the Chinese have had to accept internationally-imposed requirements.

Xiaohon He, Quinnipiac University:  China’s rural entrepreneurs are the real engine of reducing poverty in China.  Unlike the Western model, political development is coming after economic development.  Now China is running into labor and environmental issues, as well as criticism of its currency practices.  Chinese are being forced to move abroad prematurely, with bad labor and environmental practices.  But the Chinese model may be more appropriate for Africa than the Western model.

Joseph E. Ahaneku, Nnamdi Azikiwe University:  China is providing a lot of education and cultural aid.  Confucius institutes are successful.  Chinese are open to a two-way street, including teaching of Ibo in China.  Africa should embrace Chinese and propagate African culture in China.

Bottom line:  Chinese economic activity in Africa looks positive from the African perspective, even if it raises issues because of the weakness of African states.  The right response is to strengthen those states so that they can deal with the Chinese more effectively (but that conclusion is more mine than that of any of the panelists).