China in Africa

Since the first European incursion into Africa, Africa has witnessed some events that have caused a seismic wave in her history. Not only have these events altered the progressive pattern of Africa’s past but they have also laid the precedent for future events. It will be very hard to talk about the state of Africa in the 21st century without referring to her past. Doing this is an error correctly captured by an Igbo proverb “a man who does not know where the rain began to beat him cannot say where he dried his body“.

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As echoed by the late foremost African literary giant, Chinua Achebe,‘’ The rain that beat Africa began four to five hundred years ago, from the “discovery” of Africa by Europe, through the transatlantic slave trade, to the Berlin Conference of 1885.’’ Africa was officially colonised after the Berlin conference of 1885. In Berlin, the colonial powers gathered without a single representative from Africa to determine how to share and plunder Africa as if it was a piece of cake. The outcome of this selfish gathering subsequently created gigantic problems that Africa is yet to recover.

The years of European colonial rule in Africa were marked by exploitation, theft, torture, rape, and genocide. Although, the colonial experiences of each African country varied, nevertheless, the colonialists brutally controlled Africans and completely kept them out of areas that would have allowed them to control their destinies directly. That is not to say that the colonialists did not achieve anything positive in Africa. Of course, they did, but whatever was done was not in the best interest of Africans.

European colonial rule continued in every strict sense until the wave of African nationalism that challenged the obnoxious status quo of the white few dictating the tune in Africa. Needless to stay that African nationalism would not have been possible if the western education introduced by the colonialists had not produced conscious African elite whom mostly were at the forefront of the struggle for independence.

The radical and violent approach of the African nationalists sped up the independence of Africa such that, by 1990 almost all African countries had gained independence except South Africa which was brought to her knees by the brutal apartheid regime. Although African countries gained political independence or self-rule as some critics would call it, they were not totally independent. The structures the European masters left behind allowed Africa to depend on them for loans, handouts, and aids with some conditions that allowed them to control the African economy unchallenged. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president aptly described the relationship as neo-colonialism. This was the state of Africa until China appeared on the scene.

China’s first contact with Africa began in 1724, when a few Chinese convicts were brought into South Africa as labourers. Subsequently, in the 19th century, the British also brought another wave of Chinese labourers into South Africa to work on their farms, mining fields, and factories. Since then, the Chinese have grown to an estimated population of one million across Africa as business owners, investors, and manufacturers.

China’s influence in Africa is growing and it is gradually replacing the neo-colonial relationship maintained by the Europeans. In the last five years, African countries have related more with China than many European countries. Most of the goods consumed by Africans are from China. In terms of loans, African leaders prefer to look unto China for assistance because of the concessional benefits. For instance, the Chinese now handle most road constructions in Africa. While the total number of Chinese companies operating in Africa is not known, these are clear signs that China in Africa is gaining an increasing presence.

As part of the growing influence of China in Africa, a conglomeration of African leaders gathered on Monday and Tuesday, last week, at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), held in Beijing, China. During the forum, China made these five promises to Africa:

No interference in African countries pursuit of unique development paths

No interference in African countries’ internal affairs

No imposition of our will on African countries

No attachment of political strings to assistance to Africa

No seeking of selfish political gains in investment in Africa

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These promises are nothing but a flash in the pan. In fact, they may be subtle ways for China to consolidate her growing presence in Africa. In the past, the colonization of Africa was possible because the colonialists disguised as traders and friends. Is China treading the same path? If this is not true, why has Zambia become China’s first casualty of the aid diplomacy? China is allegedly set to take over Zambia’s power company (ZESCO) after defaulting on loan repayment. This may show that beyond the promises of China, there may be an ulterior motive that is yet to unravel itself. The next African country to fall into China’s trap is just in the offing as many African countries continue to grow indebted to China. The question of ‘’if China is the new colonial master in Africa‘’ will be answered in due course and we hope the future looks favourably on Africa.