EFFECT OF CHINESE RELATIONS ON AFRICA China a primarily communist state went through rapid economic development in the mid 90’s to become one of the most industrialized countries in Asia. It’s an economic powerhouse and the new heart of Asia. It’s the most populous country in the world with a budding population of over one billion people! Almost all multinational corporations in the world have set up base in China due to the availability of cheap labor which translates into reduced production costs and more profits for the corporations. Since its entry into the Africa continent, china has had tremendous impact on the African states and this has led to the change in African relations with the West. Chinese relations with Africa have led to the death of infant industries in Africa. China is able to put up infrastructure and provide services to the African states at very low costs and this enables them to quote very small amounts in their tenders. African states with a budget below 30% of their GDP are appealed to this and end up trampling on the local industries which are not able to keep up with the Chinese. These industries die a slow painful death or end up seeking business elsewhere. Almost all development projects in Kenya currently are in the hands of the Chinese as opposed to local industries such as Kirinyaga Construction Company whose well of government contracts is running dry. This implies that the money the money the African states put into development end up in the Chinese pockets as opposed to Kenyan pockets where it belongs. In case the Chinese clinch lucrative government contracts, which is all the time, they bring their expatriates to hold all the senior posts and Africans are left with menial semi-skilled and un- skilled jobs. The project is fully in the hands of the Chinese from scratch all the way to its completion. Africans usually have no idea what’s going on and this is to the advantage of the Chinese in that, incase repairs are needed to be done we have no alternative but to call them back. This is to the detriment of the Government and to its citizen since more tax payers’ money will go the Chinese. The only exception to this scenario is Angola where the Chinese engineers worked hand in hand with the Angolan engineers and trained them. This is only so because China has a giant interest in the Angolan oil fields. China is only willing to go an extra mile if it feels it is getting its money’s worth. Over the past one decade, Chinese investors and hawkers have flocked the streets in African towns and cities to sell their merchandise. This ranges from stereos, television sets among others. They have managed to drive local traders out of business and the governments have nothing to say about it fo fear of jeopardizing the relations with the Chinese. This has resulted in violent confrontations between Kenyan hawkers and local law enforcement in an attempt by the hawkers to urge the government to do something about the problem. This further drives the African economies to the doldrums. The entry of china into Africa has led to a shift in African relations with the West. A couple of months ago, European dignitaries in Nairobi publicly declared their frustration with the government to due to a constant refusal by the authorities to grant them access to the president whom they claimed spends all his time with the Chinese. Traditionally, African states always turned to the west for guidance, aid, and technical expertise. This no longer the case. The Chinese have taken over this role and this may prove to be dangerous for Africans in two ways; Firstly, as much as the west is to blame for African problems through propagating and sponsoring civil wars, they have been solely responsible for maintaining political sanity in Africa. They have helped reinstate ousted presidents back to power, stopped civil wars and helped the course of democracy in African. If it weren’t for their constant intervention in African affairs, Africa would be dead as a dodo. Examples include the clamor for multi-party democracy in Kenya and during the 2007/2008 post election violence in Kenya. Turning its back on its traditional allies isn’t the best move Africa has made. This is because of the complete disinterest and disregard of the political situation in Africa. To some extent I believe that the Chinese would even work with ‘dogs’ if we elected them. This just goes to show Chinese attitude towards African leaders. They’d led a state burn since there is another state to go to. Secondly, the long term goals of the Chinese government are unknown to Africans. At the moment they are just giving, giving and giving without really asking for anything back. This is different from what Africans are used to from the westerners who always have demands to make in exchange for assisting Africans. Africans should be careful lest they be asked for a pound of flesh by the Chinese. It’s unclear what the Chinese really want and when they’ll get it they might just pack up and Leave Africa in ruins since Africa will have destroyed its relations with the West. No one knows whether the Chinese are holding a ad dagger with one hand behind their back while at the same time shaking Africa’s hand and smiling at them. And it’s said, ‘better the devil you know than the angel you don’t know’. The Chinese have perfected the art of counterfeiting products. They have done it all, from the nokias to the sonys, you name it, the Chinese have theirs. These counterfeit goods are so good that it’s almost impossible to differentiate them from the real products. They have flooded our markets and driven traders dealing with genuine products out of business. Consumers have also suffered since they are forced to make endless trips to buy new products since these Chinese products serve them for 3months at best. It would be therefore wise for African states to approach china with a lot of caution and be on guard at all times. They should not completely ignore their old friends-the west. They should keep them close and happy as much as they can while doing the same with china.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 09:05:29 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015