China in Africa

Since the early 80s, but particularly in the last decade, China has been actively pursuing a policy of ensuring a healthy supply of raw materials and goods from Africa. According to the IMF, commercial relations between China and Africa have been growing at a rate of 30% and have gone well over 100 billion US dollars in 2010.

At the same time, over half a million Chinese nationals have emigrated to Africa to work and achieve better living conditions than they had back home.

In Africa we often see Westerners complain of everything: corruption in business and government, bureaucracy, disease and mosquitoes. Chinese just work and get on with it. They have built heavy infrastructure, revolutionized entire sectors, ie. Personal transportation with their cheap mopeds and other vehicles; and have set up hotel businesses. All without complaining.

Africans themselves prefer Chinese humility to Western paternalism. It is true that Chinese emigrants do not mix with the locals and do not speak their language. But, for the most part, they share the same living conditions and do not pretend to be superior in any way.

Governments also welcome Chinese attitudes, particularly their silence on issues of governance and human rights. They do not feel threatened with the Chinese presence and which ensures a degree of economic growth ( an average of 4% annually after China has become a major partner) even if it has not meant any significant change in the conditions of the majority of the African population.

China knows Africa is the future. It has become a principal player in African politics. When Europe and the West have accepted this fact, it was already too late to react. Now little else than adapting to the new ways of making business in Africa is left for us.