Africa draws closer to China – but not to America

Posted on July 2, 2010 by admin

Two things from my journey through China.

One of my friends teaches Chinese to foreign students at Northwestern A and F University in Yangling (an hour from Xi’an), Shaanxi province. Apparently the African Student Association organized a big party/cultural celebration. She was invited and took me along. I was looking forward to it partly because my ministry is with foreign academics. For once the Chinese were not the foreign guests but rather the hosts.

There are something like 150(?) foreign graduate students at this predominantly agricultural university in northwest China. Nearly all of them are from Asia or Africa. They came from several different nations in each continent. There were especially large numbers of students from three nations: Pakistan and Cameroon and Egypt.

It is interesting to compare the situation at Louisiana State University and Southern University in Baton Rouge to the situation at Northwestern A and F University. Here in Baton Rouge most of these graduate students would not have to learn English – although they would still have to take and pass English language exams. But they have chosen to study in China where they must spend at least one year learning to speak and even read(!) Chinese before they can begin their graduate study.

That tells you something about how people in other nations view the quality of education in China. The United States is not the only place bright talented people in other nations consider for advanced degrees. For many Africans China – even with its very different language and culture – is an attractive choice.

Hold that thought for a moment.

A few times during my journey I had a chance to catch up on Chinese news. I noticed several articles in China Daily – and yes I am aware it is to some extent a propaganda organ of the Chinese government – that discussed trade relations with Africa. Americans need to realize that the United States is not the only big kid in the global neighborhood. China increasingly is forming strong relationships with other nations. This is especially true in Africa.

One of the articles in China Daily explained that African nations appreciate working with China on trade and development because China understands African priorities and interests more than Western nations such as the United States. American companies emphasize resources – we are interested in oil metal wood and so on. But China emphasizes agriculture and infrastructure – which is exactly what African nations care about the most. They feel that the Chinese are more sensitive to what Africans consider most important. “Help us feed our people. Help us develop our nations. And then we can talk about harvesting all those wonderful resources that the Americans want so much”.

I started wondering “is America missing out on opportunities in Africa – opportunities for trade and business? because we are not listening closely enough to their needs and concerns? Or is this just Chinese propaganda?”

This weekend I talked with our friend from Kenya – who also did most of the preaching for Church of the Nations while I was on leave. His is finishing a PhD in international development at Southern University. He follows politics very closely and would probably know the situation.

He confirmed my impression and concern. Oh yes – Africa is forming very strong ties to China. In fact African nations look to China more than to the United States. China is Kenya’s number one trade partner. China is helping Kenya build roads and highways. And most goods in Kenyan shops and stores are from Chinese companies.

And recently? Has there been any changes with the Obama Administration?

No. In fact President Obama has done very little with regard to Africa besides a trip to Ghana. My Kenyan friend pointed out that many people seem unaware how much President Bush did for Africa – huge amounts of money to fight diseases such as malaria and AIDS. (In President Obama’s defense he probably needs to focus more on domestic crises – at least for a while.) Recently President Obama sent Vice-President Biden to Kenya to pressure the Kenyan government to pass a new constitution. Even to say that America must “approve” the politicians involved in producing the new constitution.

This does not sit well at all with the Kenyan government or people. Kenya is predominantly Christian. And most of those Kenyan Christians are strongly opposed to this new constitution because of (1) its inclusion/recognition of sharia (2) abortion (3) same-sex marriages. Which if you think about it is a perverse contradiction. Give Muslims more social and political power. Oh and let’s have more abortion and same-sex relations. Which Islam – not to mention Christianity – generally disapproves.

So while Africa draws closer to China – because China’s interests align much more closely with African concerns – the United States is missing out on opportunities for trade and to do business in Africa. Partly because what we care about most is not what Africans see as most important. And partly because we expect African governments to do things our way.

It may look like I am just trying to pick on the Obama Administration again. And to be honest yes I am. For all the hyperbolic rhetoric about “resetting” America’s international relations the stark reality is that we are wasting opportunities. And soon it will be too late. Africa increasingly will see China as its big sister nay its auntie – wise and strong and looking out for African interests. As opposed to that petulant teenager across the Atlantic otherwise known at the United States.

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  • Jonathan

    China’s program of “outreach” to Africa is one of the most under-reported stories in world current events. But there is a darker, even less reported angle to this situation. As you imply, China’s work to deepen relationships with African nations is a means to an end. Nothing nefarious or strange about this fact (all nations act in their own best interest). What China wants, needs, from Africa are the natural resources (oil, natural gas, precious metals) that it is increasingly in desperate need of it China is to continue to grow its economy and produce domestic jobs at a rate sufficient to keep its citizens from thinking about things like local corruption and the failures of central planning.

    China spends a portion of its massive capital funding in Africa to build infrastructure. In turn, the current leadership in each African nation gets the political credit which it then uses to consolidate its own power. In return for this assist, Chinese companies get a wide berth in how they handle the acquisition of the natural resources. And this happens in Africa, where they know how to limit media access like few other regions. This is not a good thing for African workers.

    What I’ve learned in 10 years of working in and around China’s manufacturing areas is that Chinese management has little incentive to be concerned about employee welfare (especially unskilled workers). Recall the recent suicides at the Foxconn plant (they make Apple products) in Shenzhen. Had this happened farther away from Hong Kong’s media center, no one would have heard about it, and no changes (increased wages, better working conditions) would have taken place at the plant.

    Now, move to Africa where governments have honed their ability to keep the media out and Chinese companies have made it clear to the Chinese ex-pat supervisors that the only thing that matters are results (material exports, profit, etc…).

    My prediction is that in the short term, African nations will continue to align with China. In the long term, Africa will be faced with a new type of colonization and the people will be forced to choose between revolution and slavery…again.

  • admin

    Wow. Interesting comment. Thank you! I had not considered that there is a “darker side” to what looks like China taking a much more intelligent and effective approach.

    Taking your excellent points into account, do you think America is still missing opportunities in Africa? Or is that the price we are going to pay for a more virtuous(?) approach? One of the things my friend specifically noted is that American aid comes with strings attached. “We need to see the following changes in government, human rights, and so on”. Heck – look at how some people want us to deal with China itself. Whereas China says “we will work with the social-political situation that they have”. In an odd way China practices its own form of “engagement”.

  • Jonathan

    1. The US is most definitely missing opportunities in Africa. Your points on this are spot on. We choose to work with tyrannical regimes in Egypt and Saudi Arabia but refuse to do so in the Congo and Nigeria. China, on the other hand, has no problem reaching out to totalitarian leaders.

    One way we are missing out is by not having US based companies opening manufacturing plants in these nations where the type of jobs are created that result in the creation and improvement of a middle class.

    2. I don’t think that the US is taking a more virtuous approach. Sure, it would be cynical to suggest that even those Africans who are having to suffer under the yoke of Chinese management at least have jobs…but it would be a cynicism based in truth. Goodness, the US refuses to even champion the re-introduction of DDT to solve the massive problem with mosquito born illnesses (more than 1 million Africans die each year from these diseases). I look at Africa and see millions of poor who yearn to work hard for their own stake in life; for the opportunity to earn and accumulate private wealth. This is something that US companies still know how to do.

    3. I favor foreign aid with heavy strings attached. But foreign aid has never transformed a nation (not unlike how government spending has never lifted the US economy out of a recession). What Africans need are jobs in industries that contribute to the development of high ed institutions that can produce skilled professionals. With these jobs and institutions, these nations will become populated by a private investor class that will gain the power to challenge tyranny.

    But think of it: private wealth accumulation, private investment, jobs being created by the private sector…ought I be surprised that current US foreign policy is not moving in this direction?