Balance, Rationality and Developmental Perspective Are the Key to Assess Sino-African Ties

HE WENPING

Professor of the Institute of West Asian and African Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Balance, Rationality and Developmental Perspective Are the Key to Assess Sino-African Ties

HE WENPING

Professor of the Institute of West Asian and African Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

A senior fellow at Brookings recently published an article titles as “Setting the Record Straight on China’s Engagement in Africa”, pointing out the actual share of Chinese investment in Africa as well as its impact on the continent. David Dollar, the research fellow, explained that Chinese investment represents less than 5% of the total volume of foreign investment in Africa, defying accusations that China is buying up the continent with an overwhelming amount of capital. His research points out that Chinese investment does not merely focus on natural resource extraction, but can also be seen in the services and manufacturing sectors, especially in small- and medium-sized investment.[1]Indeed, the true picture of Sino-African ties needs very much to have the objective, balanced, rational and developmental perspective.

OBJECTIVE, RATIONAl AND BAlANCED PERSPECTIVE

First, just like any kinds of relationships in the world, Sino-African developments have not been flawless. It requires constant improvements in the process of identifying, facing and overcoming problems. On one hand, Chinese government (such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Commerce), financial institutions (such as the Export-Import Bank of China and the China-Africa Development Fund), and some other relevant decision-making and executive branches of the government have been making great efforts to improve China’s policy toward Africa through finding problems and correcting them. Since the first ministerial conference of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held in Beijing in 2000, the FOCAC action plans which introduced and adopted every 3 years, represent the strong spirit of keeping pace with the changing times. Rather than be complacent and conservative, FOCAC is making efforts in substantiating the framework and content as with the development of China, Africa and the international situations, as well as the deepening of the Sino-African relations. Therefore, it achieves the continuous developments, accomplishes self-discovery in the process of finding and solving problems, and creates a leading brand in the global prestige.

For instance, the First FOCAC meeting charted the direction for the development of a new, stable and longterm partnership between China and African countries. The Second FOCAC was held in parallel with the first“China-Africa Business Conference.”The Third FOCAC established the regular political consultation mechanism between foreign ministers of the two sides. The Fourth FOCAC was cohosted with Women’s Forum and Media Seminar. The Fifth FOCAC added China-Africa Think Tank Forum and China-Africa Cooperation Legal Forum, which added more substance to the FOCAC framework. It also deepens the dialogue from government to enterprises, media, civil society and nongovernmental organizations, featuring the cooperation in political equalityand mutual trust, win-win economic cooperation, mutually enriching cultural exchanges.

China-African relations have played a significant role in poverty reduction, economic and social development in Africa. The photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping holdng talks with Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso in the Grand Hall of People on July 5.

Besides, every FOCAC Action Plans also reflect the continuity and innovation of China’s policy towards Africa. For example, The First Action Plan in 2000 put an emphasis on debt reduction of Africa, which played an important role in the global debt relief effort for Africa. The Second one in 2003 strengthened the human resources training in Africa. The Third one in 2006 titled as “Eight Measures” covering on almost all the sectors including relieving debt, expanding investment and aid, and improving livelihood. As a result, Sino-African relations were elevated to an unprecedented level. The Fourth one in 2009 announced “Eight New Measures” to advance China-Africa cooperation in response to the new concerns from international community and Africa. It not only continued and enhanced the support for traditional sectors, but also made new progress in environment protection, clean energy, technology cooperation and other fields as well as new policies to support African small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) financing. Since the Fifth Ministerial Conference in 2012, peace and security cooperation as well as promotion of Sino-African exchanges between think tanks and civil society have been put on to important level. It is fare to say that the expanding of Sino-African dialogue and cooperation is the response and adjustment to the practical problems.

On the other hand, even Chinese scholars refrain from blindly praising the country’s achievements in Africa. Many frequently travel to Africa to make field investigations and offer suggestions to policymakers on how to fix current problems. For example, the annual “Report on Development in Africa”, released by the Institute of West Asian and African Studies affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, examines and analyzes problems and challenges regarding the Sino-African relations by putting forward in-depth studies on a specific theme every year (such as economy and market, soft power, China’s enterprises in Africa, etc.) and proposing strategies and suggestions.[2]

Second, while Sino-African relations do face challenges and problems, the positive impact has been huge. China’s engagement has not only helped the continent reduce poverty and promote social and economic development but it also motivates other parts of the world to pay attention to development in Africa. China has also made tremendous contributions to help stabilize the world economy and to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Africa’s overall economy has grown by an average of 5% annually during the past 15 years, in large part due to its closer economic and trade ties with China and BRICS countries as well as other Asian economies. Such ties have also helped the continent recover from negative impacts from the global financial crisis and political unrest in North Africa. Sustainable growth in Africa’s economy mutually contributes to growth in economies worldwide, creating a win-win outcome for all trading partners. According to a report released by the Standard Bank of South Africa in 2013, growth of trade between Africa and BRICS countries outpaced that of other regions around the world. The continent’s trade with BRICS countries was estimated to exceed $500 billion in 2015, with trade volume between China and Africa taking up 60% of the total.[3]

On March 16, 2015, Wang Xinjiang (Middle), a Chinese engineer, was giving instructions to Kenyan workers at the T-beam factory on the section six of Standard Gauge Railway project from Mombasa to Nairobi, near Makueni Kenya.

All in all, China’s engagement with Africa should absolutely not be characterized as “robbing” or “new colonialism”. China is neither the “trouble maker” of environmental problems and human rights issues in Africa, nor does it the “savior” to end poverty and realize development in Africa. But China truly hopes and would love to offer assistance in reducing poverty and promoting development in Africa. By looking at the thriving relations between China and African countries over the past 15 years, we can conclude that the theory of “China’s new colonialism in Africa” runs contrary to the facts and constitutes a real insult to the wisdom and ability of African governments and their people who are actively working to build economic and trade relations with China.

DEVElOPMENTAl AND FORWARD-lOOkING PERSPECTIVE

Due to the dynamic nature of the development of Sino-African relations, a developmental and forward-looking perspective is required to evaluate the relations between China and Africa. Some present problems (such as strengthening the localization of Chinese enterprises, increasing the employment rate of local labors, protecting infant industries of Africa, promote trade balance between two sides, etc.) need to be solved in further course of development.

First of all, it is normal for Sino-African relation to have problem, but these problems must be, and can only be, solved in the course of development. These development-oriented concepts, such as “using development to solve problems in the course of development” and “development is the master key and foundation to solve problems”, forming in China’s own process of reform and opening-up, is not only the guiding principle and faith for China’s Africa policy, but also being accepted by a growing number of countries in Africa. Even international political economy scholars, put forward the “Theory of Developmental State”, based on the study of fast growing economies, such as Japan and the East Asian countries since the 1970-80s.

By “developmental state”, it refers to the state that puts economic development in the first place. China, for example, with its poverty dropping dramatically, it turns itself as the second biggest economy in the world within just one generation time. It has well deserved to be the typical representative of “developmental states” to solve the problems of employment, education, and poverty by means of development. Therefore, when China look at the problems and challenges in the Sino-African relations from a “developmental” perspective, it is natural to uphold the idea of development to carry out the planning. For instance, during the visit in Africa in August 2015, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed that China would focus onhelping Africa establish three development systems of independent industry, food security and public health prevention in order to solve three livelihood issues of employment, food and health. To be more specific, China would take mining exploitation as the locomotive to carry out production capacity cooperation with Africa thus help it establish independent industrial system and solve employment problem, take bilateral cooperation in agriculture and fishery as the entry point to help it establish food security system thus solve food problem and take health care as the breakthrough point to help it establish public health prevention and control system thus solve health problem.[4]Even for the peace and security problems troubling Africa for a long time, China suggests that achieving development is the correct way to fundamentally address instability and insecurity.

Take the problem of employment in Africa for example, which is always mentioned in Sino-African relations. It requires the investment to drive projects as well as the improvement of vocational training. A substantial increase in the local employment rate will naturally take place when new factories are put into operation, new projects are started, and qualified local technical workers are trained. Recently I had chance to visit “Mombasa Nairobi Railway” in construction in Kenya (which is the transportation between Mombasa, the largest port in East Africa, and Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya). The construction of the railway began in the early 2015 and is the first overseas trunk line that entirely designed by Chinese standards, technology, equipment, and constructional management. The ongoing construction is expected to increase Kenya’s GDP by 1.5% and it has created more than 38,000 jobs for local Kenyans by February 2016.[5]In addition, a batch of vocational and technical schools established by Chinese enterprises has been presented one after another in many regions of Africa. For example, a demonstration model of vocational education was established in Kenyan University of Science and Technology by China’s AVIC International Holding Corporation. CITIC Construction also funded a vocational school in Angola in February 2014, providing free training for impoverished local people. In this way, they could find the job in local Chinese companies and also play a key role as technical backbone in Angola’s future industrialization process.

Second of all, the forward-looking perspective, to see the unlimited potential future, is also required to observe Sino-African relations. At the Johannesburg Summit of the FOCAC in December 2015, Chinese president Xi Jinping proposed “10 major plans”to help boost cooperation in the coming three years, along with $60 billion in funding support for the continent, covering areas including agriculture, industry, infrastructure, finance, green development and public sanitation. Despite China’s economic slowdown, the country continues to seek to further ties with Africa and create mutually beneficial opportunities. This shows China’s determination to promote Africa’s development and work together to tide over difficult times. Such an attitude and courage should deserve respect from the international community, not condemnation.

The year of 2016 is the first year to initiate the 13th Five-Year Plan as well as “the Belt and Road Initiative”. China will adhere to the five concepts for development, including innovationdriven development, coordinated development, green development, development for global progress, and development for the benefit of all. Furthermore, China will make energetic efforts to promote the “three networks and industrialization program (referring as railway network, highway network, regional aviation network as well as industrialization in Africa)” with countries in Africa and facilitate the industrial capacity cooperation and the building of infrastructure connectivity. Plus, the “ten major China-Africa cooperation plans” announced at the Johannesburg Summit will set up a China-Africa production capacity cooperation fund with the initial capital of 10 billion dollars and provided 5 billion dollars of additional capital for the China-Africa Development Fund and the Special Loan for the Development of African SMEs each. China will build or upgrade a number of industrial parks in cooperation with Africa. China will also establish a number of regional vocational education centers and several capacity-building colleges for Africa, train 200,000 technicians for African countries, and provide the Continent with 40,000 training opportunities in China. Nowadays, the infrastructures and industrial investment projects, such as “Mombasa Nairobi Railway”and Dong Ao Garment Factory, have flourished in many countries in Africa. From a developmental and prospective perspective, Sino-African relations are sure to have a brighter future.

[This article is the periodical achievement of the Major Project of 2015 National Social Science Fund in China (The First Batch) “International and Strategic Studies on Sino-African Relations” (Grant No.15ZDA066)]

[1] David Dollar, “Setting the record straight on China’s engagement in Africa”, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/orderfrom-chaos/2016/07/11/setting-the-recordstraight-on-chinas-engagement-in-africa/.

[2] Zhang Hongming and He Wenping,“Annual Report on Development in Africa——China’s soft power building in Africa: performance, challenges, and solutions”, Contents of Volume 17(2014-2015); Zhang Hongming and Li Zhibiao, “Annual Report on Development in Africa——Chinese enterprises in Africa: performance, problems and countermeasures”, Contents of Volume 18 (2015-2016), Social Sciences Academic Press (China), published in September 2015 and August 2016.

[3] Chen Yi, “More Closer Economic and Trade Cooperation Among the BRICS Countries”, “The Economic Daily”, the 4th edition, February 20 2013, http:// paper.ce.cn/jjrb/html/2013-02/20/content_145127.htm.

[4] “Wang Yi: China Is Ready to Help Africa Establish Three Development Systems and Solve Three Livelihood Issues”, August 11 2015, Xinhua, http://news.xinhuanet. com/world/2015-01/16/c_127390959.htm.

[5] “Social responsibility report 2015 on the Mombasa-Nairobi Railwayproject”, released in March 2016 by China Road and Bridge Corporation.