Is China the new colonial power in Africa?

The Observer (UK) / Taipei Times ^ | Nov 01, 2006 | Conal Walsh

[Flavius]

yes next question

[kinoxi]

No.

[TBP]

Yes, of course. china seeks to rule the world and this Administration has a real blind spot about it.

[Last Dakotan]

Like the other Asian mercantilists, the Chinese are overt racists. They all use the opinion of racial superiority to justify their corrupt trade policies.

[diesel00]

There are good and bad aspects to this. China providing basic infrastructure (roads, dams, hospitals and schools) to Africa is not a bad thing, but much needed, particularly in the poorest of regions. On the otherhand, the Chinese aren't doing this out of the benevolence of their hearts, they are after Africa's resources. Like with Southeast Asia, raw material enters China, and China sends out finished products at a profit margin. There is nothing wrong with that in principle (it is the basis of capitalism), but the question is whether those raw products are at market value or obtained at a "steal."

[kinoxi]

After reading your informative post #6. I still think no.

[diesel00]

Like the other Asian mercantilists, the Chinese are overt racists. They all use the opinion of racial superiority to justify their corrupt trade policies.

Explain. You mean similar to the tributary system that the Chinese have had for thousands of years? I don't know how much relevance race plays into China's dealings with Africa. If Africa was a poor continent populated by all whites or other East Asians, would China act any differently? Probably not. To me, China's motivations in Africa are very much economical: to secure scarce resources. I don't see how race plays in this context.

[diesel00]

oh, I wasn't disagreeing with you ;) ... Just trying to show that people can kind of argue both ways. Since I see China's actions as mostly economically motivated, I would tend to agree with you that one can't say that's colonization. Otherwise one can argue that the West is colonizing China right now, or even China is colonizing the US via "Made in China" products, which is kind of a ridiculous assertion.

[kinoxi]

Good answer.
:)

[printhead]

One can almost hear the conversation from the dark continents' leaders; "We have to collectively divide this continents' resources, to our benevolent asian partners we deign our mineral and agricultural rights, to our American partners we invite you to invest 14 billion for aids relief".

[denydenydeny]

I get a vibe from China that they deal with Africa in the same way that the Mafia dons did in The Godfather: "So what about them? They're all animals anyway."

The article softpedals China's culpability for the genocide in Darfur ("China....appears to have played a role'). China is the #1 reason for the world's inability to stop the genocide, in spite of all the caterwauling from the George Clooneys of the world.

[Niuhuru]

And to think, people call us imperialists and still crucify Britain for the same thing that the Chinese are doing.

[GSlob]

That's OK. If one could saddle them with all the basket cases of the world, they will collapse under the load.

[sinoguy]

In africa,we chinese will do better than west whites did

[diesel00]

Why?

[The Working Man]

This is also an interesting thing to observe from another angle. The Chinese are from my personal experience one the most hardest working peoples on the face of this planet. What I have seen them do with just plain muscle power and pick and shovel was utterly amazing.

And the Africans are at the opposite extremes. A true clash of cultures.

One could almost want to sit back and watch and see how this would play out...

[lyonel]

Good observation. The Chinese might change though when they reach a different stage of development. As for now it is an opportunity for African to grow together with a country not to far ahead of them and willing to do business as equal. I just hope their success in war against poverty will spread to Africa.

[andyahoo]

No. China is just practicing pure capitalism in Africa. You can argue whether China's capitalism in Afirca is good or bad, but it is not colonism.

[andyahoo]

And saying China is trying to colonize Africa is insulting the Africans too. The Africans are equal partners of China. If they don't like the Chinese deals, they don't have to take it. If the Africans want something from China, then they need to give something to China in return.