Posted on 11/05/2006 2:06:18 AM PST by MadIvan
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has hailed China as his “second home” and praised Beijing for its refusal to link aid and investment to human rights or democracy as it scrambles for assets in Africa.
Mugabe’s remarks came in an “exclusive interview” with the Chinese state news agency Xinhua, which rarely boasts of its exclusives but was eager to publicise his appreciation of China’s friendship in contrast to “western hostility”.
The red carpet has been laid out for 48 African leaders, including Mugabe and Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, as China revels in hosting its biggest summit with the continent since the foundation of the People’s Republic in 1949.
“In most recent times, as the West started being hostile to us, we deliberately declared a Look East policy,” Xinhua quoted Mugabe as saying.
“These were the friends we relied upon during the liberation struggle and they will not let us down,” he added. “For Zimbabwe, going to China is going to our second home. We regard China as a part of us.”
Xinhua said China had just extended a £2.7m loan to Zimbabwe to refurbish its biggest stadium, which was built by a Chinese company.
It has also offered £110m to finance agricultural production and the purchase of three Chinese-made passenger planes.
Opposition groups and human rights activists say prestigious projects such as the stadium refurbishment are inappropriate when millions of Zimbabweans have been impoverished by inflation and disastrous economic policies.
But the Zimbabwe deals are emblematic of China’s refusal to let political criticism stand in the way of its demand for oil, minerals, diamonds and timber from Africa.
Xinhua frankly admitted that China invested billions of pounds in Zimbabwe because it is “keen to secure strategic natural resources to help sustain its mouth-watering economic growth of more than 10%”.
Mugabe said such investment was welcome because it made Zimbabwe less vulnerable to “pressure and political manipulation” by the West.
That theme was underlined yesterday when China promised to double its aid to Africa and pledged billions of pounds in loans to forge a “strategic partnership” between the two giants as a political and economic counterweight to western power.
The announcement came in a speech by President Hu Jintao to his guests that also challenged the West’s attempts to link human rights and democracy in Africa to aid and development.
Mugabe and Sudan’s Bashir listened with evident approval as the Chinese leader talked of “a regular high-level political dialogue . . . to enhance mutual political trust”.
In Sudan, China’s strategic interest in securing oil supplies has led it repeatedly to block any efforts by the United Nations Security Council to intervene in the conflict in Darfur, where aid agencies say a human catastrophe has occurred.
Hu blandly told the Sudanese leader last week that he hoped Bashir’s regime “can find an appropriate settlement, maintain stability, and constantly improve the humanitarian conditions in the region”. Chinese diplomats have also frustrated any UN sanctions against either Sudan or Zimbabwe.
Hu preferred to focus on “win-win” economic growth — China and Africa conducted £22 billion worth of trade in the first nine months of this year, up 40% on a year earlier — and of “cultural enrichment” through exchanges of ideas.
The latter has baffled many Beijing residents as their capital has abruptly been plastered with propaganda posters promoting all things African — although some of the African visitors may not be wholly pleased by the visual emphasis on elephants, jungle, warlike tribesmen and colourfully clad women of ample proportions carrying outsize bundles on their heads.
However, both sides are determined to overlook any unfortunate cultural misunderstandings in their enthusiasm for doing business without strings attached.
The Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao said China’s aid to Africa would, as always, be “sincere and altruistic” and China has just announced it will cancel about £1 billion in debts owed by some of the poorest African nations.
However, China has also revealed itself extremely sensitive to accusations that it is behaving like a modern colonial power. Xinhua yesterday dedicated a commentary to refuting what it called “the fallacy that China is exercising ‘neo-colonialism’ in Africa”.
“The forces that are circulating the fallacy are fearful of China’s fast growth and the positive development of Sino- African relations,” it said, identifying the culprits as “some people from the West”.
Their aim, said Xinhua, was to “block China’s peaceful development so as to maintain their established interests in the world arena”.
China has devoted an extraordinary effort to make Beijing pristine, pollution-free and devoid of traffic jams for the summit, in a useful dress rehearsal for the 2008 Olympic Games.
For Mugabe, the reference to China as a “second home” may be more than a pleasantry. Some diplomats in Beijing think the Zimbabwean leader would be assured of a safe refuge there should he ever fall from power.
Why are these commie defenders on an American political forum?
Because they are the major counter balance to the Chinese.
Do you have any idea how many Indians live in Africa? They are not just trading they are going in buying land and living there.
You don't see Chinese, not even in the game parks. You do see a lot of Indians.
You get three guesses and the first two don't count. :)
"More faux-history.
It is amazing that how the defenders of Communist regimes all have the same talking points."
I'd suggest that you take a look at the links bookmarked in my profile as well as my blogsite. You'll find that I'm no defender of Communist regimes.
As for referring to my previous statement as "Faux-History", call it whatever you like, but the fact remains that many of the dictators that have been a pain in our arse, are the ones our governments policies have helped bring to power.
Mao [ca. 60 million dead] has never attempted a 'transculturation' - "transcivilization", rather - but functioned fully within the Chinese civ, as a modern day "Son of heaven", albeit in a rather modern garb. One could argue that transcivilizing the Chinese would have taken not 60 million dead but many more.
Your statement was an out and out lie. The US had nothing to do with bringing Saddam to power.
No need. I just got back from there in March.
You may believe what the newspaper says. I will believe my not lying eyes.
On the other hand the UK is doing a marvelous job building a very nice road in Kenya. That was another thing that I saw.
"Your statement was an out and out lie. The US had nothing to do with bringing Saddam to power."
I didn't say the US brought Saddam to power, but the US DID SUPPORT him during the Iran - Iraq war. That's a fact, Jack.
That's what happens when you rely on short-sighted foreign policy.
Kind of old news. China has been investing quite a lot of dough to develop African resources for quite a few years now.
True.Anything the Chinese do in Africa is for the benefit of the CHINESE,not the Africans.
And if Africans thought the WHITE colonialists were brutal and racist,wait till they get a taste of racism Oriental style!
*sigh* Am I going to have to go through this again? No it is not a fact. Saddam was armed and supported in that war by the USSR, france and China. The US gave him some intelligence during the first part of the war but even that stopped when it was found that he was a sleazy nut ball.
One does not exclude the other. China needs natural resources and friends. African countries need industrial products, infrastructure and technical help. It is a win win situation.
And if Africans thought the WHITE colonialists were brutal and racist,wait till they get a taste of racism Oriental style!
Chinese are not so stupid as to alienate Africans and made them into enemies. If both sides need one another they will cooperate freely.
and again..you don't see the pattern.
You just pick and choose the points you want to see.
I'd be interested to see how you would explain Castro's coming to power.
The US has a long history of short-sighted foreign policies that continue to bite us in the ass. Period.
You are the eternal optimist,Pole.
I plain don't trust Communists period.
Did you ever read Che's Africa Diaries?He was very contemptuous of African people.Seems they weren't disciplined enough to be "real"revolutionaries.
I think the Chinese just can't help their own racism and sense of superiority when it comes to Africans.
Hell,the Chinese Americans I know will in their moments of honesty tell you that most Chinese think they are more gifted than white people,not to mention blacks and Latinos.
Present day Chines has mixed system where people can have their own business and usually they are free to travel. Very different from Maoism or Stalinism. (BTW, I grew up under psot Stalin Communism so I have some personal insight)
And there is a very easy way to prevent Chinese inroads into Africa: Western countries should offer Africa BETTER deal. Simple like that!
I would like to know the opinion of Harmless Teddy Bear about Batista and Somoza.
I was in Beijing 10 years ago (and of course since) and even then there were lots of dealings with Africa... and thousands of Africans "on business" in China.
It was one of their only foreign deployments ever.
Exactly!! China would love to push all Africans into the ocean and make Africa a Chinese continent. Unlimited children will be allowed of course. Might happen in our lifetimes.
China needs lebensraum and Africa fits the bill
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