Maravi

China’s assurance

China’s assurance
By The Post
Wed 16 Mar. 2011, 04:00 CAT

The assurance by Dr Zhao Haihan, chief of Political Section at the Chinese Embassy in Lusaka, that the Chinese government would work with any political party in power in Zambia exposes the lie of those who have been claiming that a change of government will see the end of Chinese investment in this country.

The assurance by the Chinese government that they will continue investing in Zambia regardless of the political party that will be voted into government confirms what is known about China’s foreign policy of respecting the wishes of other peoples and its non-interference in the internal affairs of the country.

It is true that China is a country that is always ready to help others even if others are not there to help them.

But this assistance to other countries, including fraternal political parties, does not mean China is narrow in its approach to relations with any country.

There has been a claim in this country that if the MMD is removed from power, Chinese investments will disappear from this country.

This is not true. And this lie has been ended by Dr Zhao’s assurance.

Our country has been dealing with China for a very long time. Very close ties were forged between the UNIP government of Dr Kenneth Kaunda and that of China and the Communist Party of China.

But these close ties did not end with the departure from power of Dr Kaunda and UNIP.

It is not a relationship that must be personalised no matter how much personal assistance those in power may be receiving from China and its people.

The way we know China and Chinese people, even those in the opposition, if they went to them for legitimate assistance, would be given similar assistance without much ado.

China has a clear and broad policy for Africa that transcends individuals and their petty political organisations. Today, China is Africa’s third-largest trading partner following the United States and France, making Africa one of China’s overseas regions for strategic resources, investment opportunities and a market for Chinese products.

But while China is today enjoying these many benefits of an increasingly close relationship with Africa, such benefits are not the only forces driving China’s African policy.

There is need for us not to forget yesterday, not to forget where we are coming from with China and the historical context in which our relationship with China emerged. It cannot be denied that China and most of Africa share some common experiences, values and principles.

Our ties with China were very strong long before one could even dream of China’s demands for African resources rising to what they are today.

China has only become an energy importer since 1993, yet the Sino-African relations have been developing steadily since the triumph of the Chinese Revolution in 1949.

Furthermore, China’s interaction with Africa, both past and present, is not limited only to those countries rich in resources.

Most of the African countries that benefit from China’s policy efforts, including debt reduction, low or zero tariff trade agreements and aid, are among the least developed in Africa and are not necessarily rich in natural resources.

Clearly, China’s dealings with Africa transcend a mere quest for resources.

While it cannot be denied that China’s growing need for raw materials and energy is important to its engagement in Africa, it is certainly not the only nor the key factor.

It is therefore important to have a clearer, more critical and broader view of China’s engagement with our country and other African nations if we are to maximise the benefits for our people in our dealings with China.

What we need is a beneficial engagement with China. And it is not the duty of the Chinese government and people to decide for us what is beneficial to our country.

This is our duty, and a sovereign one for that matter. We have to negotiate, and strongly and intelligently so. We have to make compromises but these have to be good compromises.

For instance, if the Chinese government is willing to assist us develop our health sector, it is up to us to decide how this should be because we know our country and our needs better.

If they want to sell us mobile hospitals on credit, we should instead ask them to build us solid structures on credit.

Yes, China is a good friend of Africa, a good friend of our country. But not all our dealings with China are of a charitable nature.

We should never lose sight of the fact that China’s policies in Africa are also driven by the need to sustain its own economic development.

With a population of over 850 million people, Africa has immense human resources and large markets that are a natural attraction for China.

Tapping these markets would tremendously benefit China’s own economy as well as that of Africa.

To maintain the momentum of economic growth that China is currently experiencing and is projecting, the country must expand markets for its domestic industry.

Africa currently has a lower industrial capacity, creating the need for imports from China, which has a strong manufacturing base.

This complementarity between China and Africa is important to the sustainable development of both the Chinese and African economies.

It also cannot be denied that China’s Africa policy is inherently driven by its long-term strategic interests and the rise of China’s international status.

And Africa is a key force for the world’s developing nations.

Africa accounts for almost half of the non-aligned nations and third of the United Nations member countries.

And all these countries have demonstrated themselves as reliable supporters of China’s position in opposing hegemonism and power politics in the world.

Strengthened relationship with Africa will definitely help China to raise its own international influence and that of the developing countries as a whole.

As the largest developing country, China has a duty to speak on behalf of all developing countries, including those of Africa.

Moreover, China is the only developing country of the five permanent members in the United Nations Security Council.

Of course, we should never forget our colonial history and our neo-colonial situation as African countries in our dealings with other countries, including China.

The past exploitation of our natural and human wealth by western powers helped them achieve their great power status.

And it’s only normal and expected for our people and their leaders to exercise caution and be critical in their dealings with China.

Many wonder with disquiet whether China will behave similarly to acquire their resources and markets to sustain its own economic growth.

But we know that China is neither capable nor willing to take a neo-colonial path in Africa.

The current international environment has been transformed, precluding the possibility of Chinese neo-colonialism in Africa.

Any such relations would be vigorously opposed by all Africans and not tolerated by the international community, including the western nations that once colonised us and for many decades after that continued to subject us to neo-colonialism.

And moreover, the Chinese have endured their own grievous history of national humiliation at the hands of foreign powers and understand the pain of colonialism.

China has staunchly supported Africa’s struggle against colonialism, and to go back on this would be a betrayal of too many things, including its own constitution, which explicitly opposes colonialism.

This is not to say all is well, or as it should be, in China’s dealings with Africa.

Although China’s behaviour in Africa cannot stand up to the charge of neo-colonialism, there are deficiencies in the dealings and deals that have been struck, however well-intended they were.

These need to be continually reviewed and corrected.

We have to continually ask ourselves whether each deal we engage in with China is helping or impeding us from realising our potential. Looked at in this way, China’s dealings in Africa are no worse and, on balance, probably are far better than that of the West.

But like everything else, we need to manage our dealings with others and maximise the benefits.

There is no need to fear China. Everyone, including the West, is moving towards China.

It seems all roads to development and progress on this planet today lead to China or pass through China.

For these reasons, we urge all our politicians to take their dealings with China seriously because our relations with China and the way they are handled or managed will determine how quickly we develop.

Dealings with China are not for one political party but for all the political parties and all our people in their diversities and complexities.

No one political party or politician should claim monopoly over relations with China.

China was not in Zambia for UNIP and Dr Kaunda.

The Chinese are not investing in Zambia today because of MMD and Rupiah.

They are here to deal with Zambia as a country regardless of who is in power.

Labels: CHINA, MMD, PF

posted by MrK @ 4:20 PM