China As Friend And Partner To Africa
By
Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
There is a raging debate which has persisted for a while now. And it is of
concern to me in a triumvirate sense. The outcome of this debate will have
tremendous ramifications for Africans. Such outcome will reverberate
throughout Africa for hundreds of years.
Foremost, is the impact any outcome of this debate, or contest, between
America and Europe on the one hand. And China on the other, What the
consequences on Africa will be. Secondly, what effect will this pressure
being applied on China, have on China’s forays into Africa. But most
urgent of all my concerns here, is whether African public intellectuals
are attentively, following this debate or contest wills or spheres of
influence between these superpowers , and whether we are seeking to
influence the debate-contest and the eventual outcomes.
On August 11, 2009, an uproarious and rancorous event occurred in the
Republic of Congo during public questioning of Secretary of State, Mrs.
Hilary Rodham Clinton of the United States time in that central African
country. Madam Secretary of State was said to have bristled testily, when
the questioner appeared to have asked her, what her husband, the other
world famous Clinton, thought of a reported meddling by the World Bank, in
a contract or loan from the Chinese, which is reportedly being frustrated
and truncated, because the World Bank has been pressuring the government
of the Congo. I regret that Madam Secretary of State appeared to have
faced what probably was a sexist questioning or mindset, or what is now
said to be a mere misunderstanding arising from misinterpretation of a
question rendered in French.
But here are the crucial questions which ultimately should be addressed by
Washington in connection with the questioner‘s concerns. Why should any
foreign institution or foreign government interfere in the internal
affairs of the Congo? And why should the World Bank or the United States
government or any of its departments or agency, be remotely connected in
any way, to the reported attempt to thwart contracts between the Congo and
China, two politically independent and sovereign nations?
In recent times, there have been this sorts of contracts and loan twists
and turns in Nigeria-China interactions, so perhaps, we now know the
sources?
And is Nigeria’s open dealings with China really the reason for the snub
of Nigeria recently? But why must Nigeria, nay Africa, let Westerners have
monopoly of doing “business” or exploiting Africa?
History is our witness, and the evidence establishes and demonstrates
incontrovertibly that America and Europe do not have clean hands regarding
the human conditions in Africa. History bear the facts of America and
European horrid brutalities in Africa. How is it therefore, America and
Europe are shouting the loudest about China’s forays into Africa. It is
often said that those who seek equity or those who come to equity should
come with clean hands. Regarding Africa, Americans and European hands are
soiled most putridly . The preachments which we now are hearing from
America and Europe, are mere pretentious and farcical preachments. America
and Europe, are pots, and if anything, China is kettle, and it is
oxymoronic to find pot calling kettle black.
For starters, America and Europe have been in Africa for almost a thousand
years! And evidences about of how America and Europe have pauperized
Africa by stripping the continent of tangible and intangible resources.
Ranging from human beings during slave trade, to raw materials during
industrial revolution and since. And more recently, stripping of Africa of
gold, diamond, petroleum and cheap labor.
China was not involved in slave trade of Africans, China was not involved
in colonialism of Africans, China was not involved in imposing foreign
religious on Africans. China was not involved in imposing foreign
languages, such as English, French and Portuguese on Africans. China has
not been involved in the assassination of African political leaders. China
has so far been doing business in Africa, in ways, not any way as
egregious as Union Carbide in Bhopal India or Pfizer in Nigeria
The West does not brook competition for resources or business or
hemispheric influence, and there lays the West scurrilous attack on
China’s foray into the African continent. Only the gullible will believe
that this is about Human Rights or Labor Practices or Best Business
Practices, history has abundantly borne this out. In Nigeria,
environmental pollution degradation by oil companies from America and
Europe who have engaged in unbridled oil spillages and gas flaring. And
Pfizer pharmaceuticals, which experimented its toxic concoctions on the
innocents lives of Nigerian children in Kano City Nigeria, a thing Pfizer
would never do in America or Europe! China so far, at least, has not
engaged in the egregious practices for which many American and European
companies in African and most of the developing world are infamous.
Africa did not benefit from Western slave trade and colonialism in Africa
and Westerners can be sure that Africans are no retards unaware of
Africa's best interests. On the other hand, African public intellectuals
and of course, by what is African political leadership, should make it
abundantly clear and certain to the Chinese that Africa need partners,
friends and investors, but not re-colonization by anyone, from the west or
east! The Westerners should hands off Africa. Let Africa chart her own
course and path to progress, development and advancement. Africa have been
stifled with strictures endlessly.
As for labor practices and pollution, oil exploration and exploitation in
Nigeria and elsewhere has not shown that companies and corporations run by
Westerners are interested in Best Business Practices or Corporate
Responsibility and Corporate Good Citizenship. Persistent oil spillages in
Nigeria. Ruinous medical experiment in Kano Nigeria by Pfizer and
activities of such as the ones by Union Carbide in Bhopal India are
clearly indictments against phony and pretentious claims by Western
business in the Africa and the rest of the developing world! Westerners
have not laid any good precepts, and China cannot do any worse than
Westerners have done. It certainly better to have a wider pool of options
of Foreign Direct Investments in Africa.
China invest wads and wads of dollars in America. China in effect
underwrites a great deal of American public debt and why then is it, that
America does not tell China to go stuff her dollars elsewhere, because of
her infamous record on democracy and human rights?
And I will say it a million times if I have to. Africans should be very
wary of persons, such as umbrella sellers who also doubles as
meteorologist in the habit of always predicting or forecasting rains
Africans including Nigerians of course, should want to know why America
accepts money from China without even a whimper or murmur inclination to
hinge such on and about China ‘s political economic systems and without
raising issues about democratic forms of governance and human rights etc
Essentially therefore, Africa has nothing to show for a thousand years of
Africa’s contact with America and Europe, unless of course Western
Imperialism is considered a benefit to Africa. History does show, that
Africa’s contact with America and Europeans, have only brought to the
average African, endless sorrows, tears and shedding of bloods. Weapons of
conflicts in African nations are not supplied by China.
The scramble for Africa, the white man conquest of the African continent
had no Chinese input or participation. And lest the world forgets, China
was not invited to the so-called Berlin Conference in which Western powers
“shared” African amongst themselves, as if pirates dividing illegal loots.
The Irish-Anglo historian, Thomas Pakenham wrote a book which he recounted
the scramble for Africa. He detailed interventions in African affairs,
encapsulates the horrors and brutalities meted upon Africa by Westerners,
still evident today!
China was not invited to it, and China played no roles when Victorian
England, Germany and rest of Europe partitioned Africa. And arbitrarily
assigned African peoples to different European so-called mother countries
of Britain, Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain etc
And now, it is China, Russia and the United States ate scrambling anew,
for needful resources to oil their economies, all puns intended! And
Africa remains a great source of plethora of resources for industrial
powers. Africans should determine their own fate; apologies to President
Obama. America and Europe must hands off Africa and allow Africans to
determine who are worthy and meaningful partners. Africans are able to
determine who are the true friends and partners of the continent.
African public intellectuals and political leadership, must insist that
only Africans may rightly determine where Africa’s interests will be
served and served with commitment and dedication, and above all, with
respect. Westerners have for centuries sought prestige, strategic
resources at Africa’s expense. For centuries, Africa has served Western
expediencies, and needs in human cargoes, gold and diamond now, petroleum
oil, to lubricates Westerners’ economic engines, while leaving Africa in
poverty, and worse, actually ridiculing Africa for being poor and
backward.
A thousand of years is proof enough of the abysmal and dismal effects of
appalling methods used by Westerners in Africa and Westerners’
interventions in Africa have had no measurable beneficial effects and the
Chinese have never been involved nor played any roles or parts in the
nefarious activities by Westerners which have degraded and dehumanized
Africans and the human conditions on the African continent. I therefore do
not see the why Africans must allow Westerners, these same Westerners, of
whom we are thoroughly familiar.
Westerners with blood in their hands. Westerners who now pretend to be
acting in Africa’s best interests, be warning Africa against the Chinese
“invasion and takeover” of Africa! The truth of the matter is that, Africa
have in the past been bullied and stampeded into plied for Westerner
health, wealth and happiness for far too long, and if the relationship
between Westerners and Africa were a marriage, Africa should have had or
demanded for divorce or separation long ago. Africa should be free to have
“an affair” with the Chinese! Westerners have taken Africa for granted for
hundreds of years. So perhaps it is time for Africa to tell Westerners
that papa got a brand new bag!
Why is China being criticized for having no political views, on local
matters in African nations in which the Chinese are making some inroads?
Put conversely, why does the United States accept money from China to
finance American public debts without a whimper or murmur about China’s
Human Right records or and Chinese non-adherence to the fine ideals of
democracy, freedom, liberty and the rule of law? But instead, President
Obama upon assuming office and inheriting the economic meltdown, actually
singled China out and appealed to China to continue to have faith in the
resilience of the American economy. As he urged China keeping the tap of
more dollars flowing into the American economy. This, even though, China
already has more than a trillion dollars invested in purchase of American
public debt.
Why would Westerners ignore all the “evils” reeking off China’s clothes,
when the bell tolls for Westerners? But, the same Westerners are
trepidations and stampede to warn Africa off, of, Chinese pungent
undemocratic ways, and perverse-putrid human rights abuses, only now,
because China is giving the Westerners a run for their money in Africa?
Western self-interests of course! In China’s forays into various African
nations, Westerners finally have a fidelity challenge. Let the competition
begin, I’ll say!
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