
Africa: Then and Now
China and Africa:
Altruism or Rogue Donor?
Preface
“You can argue that China is the best thing to happen to Africa — or the worst,” (1) - Eric Olande (co-founder of the China Africa Project (CAP)) Their relationship is one of a kind considering the dramatic upsides and negative effects being put into this long term connections.
During the pandemic, China had announced to exempt the loans and debts from many African countries that were supposed to be due at the end of the year. However, this is not the first time China had done such "benevolent" deeds toward countries in Africa. In fact, from 2005-2018, China invested around 300 billion dollars toward the development of African countries. (2) These are just a few examples of all the cooperation that had been going on between China and countries in Africa. Namibia’s minister of finance, Calle Schlettwein, claimed that "We welcomed China very much because, for the first time, it gave us a real alternative to a Western-driven agenda, whether it was South Africa or the Western world.”(3) This statement from Mr Schlettwein reflects the seemingly hopeful attitude between China and Africa. While the Chinese government stated that its influence on Africa is completely benign, some stories suggested otherwise.
Introduction
During one of our Harkness discussions this year, we discussed the significance of the relationship between China and Africa. While my peers in class stated that the relationship is emerging into a form of neocolonialism, I realized that although born and raised in China, I had little knowledge on China’s real intentions behind this “benevolent” move. After the discussion ended, I discussed this issue with my parents. In their opinion, China indeed invested billions of dollars to Africa each year and they even exempted many of the loans countries in Africa owe to them. But China did this with the intention to secure political support. After doing some in depth research, I discovered the true purpose of China's investment and its impact, both positive and negative, on Africa. I will lay my emphasis on primarily talking about the pros and cons of this cross continent outreach.

Ironic cartoon suggesting that this relations is not completely benevolenthttp://economicstudents.com/2013/03/china-in-africa-mutual-benefits-or-new-era-of-colonisation/


African workers in Chinese harbor excavating resources in Africahttp://www.jiantongpipe.com/chenggonganli/gongchenganli/2018/0508/237.html
Workers anxiously waiting to start their work in the Chinese-run copper mines in Zambia
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-zambia-mining-mining-idUSKCN1VC1VN
Pros
Public opinions polls in 20 African countries carried out by Afrobarometer showed that 70% of people rate the presence of China positively. Therefore, it is undeniable that China made a lot of positive impacts to countries in Africa. Between the 1960 and the 1970s, China began to aid Africa in multiple areas. One of the most distinct infrastructure projects was the railway in Tanzania. In the 1960s, China provided a generous foreign aid by buying a quarter of Tanzania’s tobacco crop. Over the years, China's involvement continually increased as it began to provide eight types of foreign aid: complete projects, goods and materials, technical cooperation, human resource development cooperation, medical assistance, emergency humanitarian aid, volunteer programs, and debt relief. China's financial infrastructure, over 6 billion dollars a year, helped to fill the gap many African countries are facing currently. After Liberia's war ended, president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf stated that "her main priority was financing roads."while the other donors were incapable of building roads, it was the Chinese ambassador who helped Liberia to build the roads (5). In Angola, where China had put in over 14 billion dollars of infrastructure, the rate of absolute poverty dropped from 68% to 36% over the past decade. (6)
Cons
For several years, China has been described as a “rogue donor” for their exploitation of Africa’s resources and damage to both their environment and economy. China has been repeatedly criticized for their low standards and extreme working conditions in their African factories. In 2015, an explosion in a Chinese mining company base in Zambia killed 53 workers, all of whom were natives of the region. After a thorough examination of the factories, it was discovered that the majority of the dangerous tasks in the factories were carried out by the Zambians. Within the factory walls, they faced treacherous work conditions and received minimal pay (5). China is also accused of damaging Africa’s environment as a means to economic growth. Since 2010, China has been the world’s largest energy consumer and highest emitter of carbon dioxide, which has devastating impacts on global warming (6). In an effort to reduce their carbon footprint and deflect responsibility, they sent their most polluted factories west to Africa. In a recent survey, the five greatest dangers in the world were ranked as religious and ethnic hatred, inequality, AIDS and other diseases, nuclear weapons, and finally, pollution and the environment. According to the study, “all but one African country ranked environmental danger at the bottom. China, on the other hand, ranked environmental problems at first.” (7) Therefore, by relocating their most polluted factories, like tanneries and steel factories, China could relieve some of the environmental burden while claiming that they are doing it for the good of the countries in Africa. This movement had raised many concerns in Africa, but most governments, like the Somaliland government, have been reluctant to intervene for fear that the intervention would discourage additional foreign investments.

Jacob Zuma, former president of South Africa, and President Xi JinPing
https://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/24/will-closer-ties-to-china-rescue-south-africas-government.html
Conclusion
Around 60 years ago, Japan offered a bargain to China: Japan would give China 10 billion dollars, in return, China would import Japanese technology, and Japanese companies can develop China's mind, and Japan could build China's infrastructures.Thirty years after the bargain with Japan, in which China benefited a lot, China considered establishing a similar process with countries in Africa; But this time, China stood in the shoes of Japan. It can’t be difficult to infer that the relationship between China and Africa was certainly not altruistic, as both parties sought to exploit resources or financial assistance from each other. However, while acknowledging that there are concerns regarding this relationship, we should also recognize that with all the infrastructures built in countries in Africa and the financial boost provided by China, China propelled the development of Africa's economy as a whole.
Footnote
1. Is China the World's New Colonial Power? https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/02/magazine/is-china-the-worlds-new-colonial-power.html.
2, Hanauer, Larry, and Lyle J. Morris. "Intertwined Interests of China and Africa." In Chinese Engagement in Africa: Drivers, Reactions, and Implications for U.S. Policy, 5-18. RAND Corporation, 2014. Accessed September 25, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/j.ctt6wq7ss.9.
3. Hutchison, Alan. "China and Africa." Africa Spectrum 10, no. 1 (1975): 5-12. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40173645.
4. Brautigam, Deborah. The Dragon's Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2011.
5. Brautigam, Deborah. The Dragon's Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2011.
Brautigam, Deborah. The Dragon's Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2011.
6. The Environmental Impact of China's Investment in Africa David H. Shinn https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/research/ILJ/upload/Shinn-final.pdf
7. The Environmental Impact of China's Investment in Africa David H. Shinn https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/research/ILJ/upload/Shinn-final.pdf
8. The Environmental Impact of China's Investment in Africa David H. Shinn https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/research/ILJ/upload/Shinn-final.pdf
Bibliography
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