Chinese Involvement in Africa By Jeff Bahls Political Geography 4205 Dr. Fahrer 11 April 2011
Sep 08, 2014
Chinese Involvement in Africa
ByJeff Bahls
Political Geography 4205Dr. Fahrer
11 April 2011
What thoughts do you have on China in Africa?
Were you even aware that China is not only in Africa, but plays a major role in almost all the African countries?
If aware, what do you think China is doing in Africa, and why?
Be conscience of these questions throughout the presentation.
Chinese Involvement in Africa
China’s strategy with respect to Africa
1.Supply of raw materials for China2.Create a market for Chinese
products 3.Obtain land for agricultural 4.Migration of Chinese people to Africa5.Gain diplomatic support from African
countries6.Present an alternative to the Western
development model7.Provide an alternative to Western
development cooperation8.Emphasize China’s status as a
superpower
COLONIALISM:
What brings any country to Africa and treat it as anything other than a colony?
Mineral ResourcesAfrican Countries
World Reach/Exploring Africa
Country Agriculture MineralALGERIA wheat, oats, olives petroleumANGOLA coffee, bananas, maize petroleum, diamondsBENIN coffee, cocoa, yams petroleum
BOTSWANA maize, sorghum, livestock diamondsBURKINA FASO ground nuts, cotton, sorghum manganese, limestone
BURUNDI coffee, cotton, maize goldCAMEROON coffee, cocoa, cassava petroleum, aluminumCAPE VERDE bananas, maize, fish salt
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC cassava, millet, cotton diamondsCHAD cotton, millet, sorghum uranium
COMOROS vanilla, copra, bananas, fish ____CONGO (Brazzaville) rice, groundnuts, maize petroleum, diamondsCONGO (Kinshasa) cassava, maize, coffee, rubber copper, diamonds, cobalt, gold, zinc
COTE D'IVOIRE coffee, cocoa, timber, maize, rice petroleum, diamonds, manganeseDJIBOUTI sheep, goats, fruit ____
EGYPT cotton, rice, maize, fruit petroleum, iron ore, phosphatesEQUATORIAL GUINEA timber, coffee, rice, yams petroleum
ERITREA sorghum, lentils, fish, livestock gold, potash, zincETHIOPIA coffee, tiv, pulses, livestock gold, , copper
GABON cocoa, coffee, oil palm, cassava petroleum, manganeseGAMBIA groundnuts, millet, sorghum, rice _____GHANA cocoa, cassava, groundnuts, maize gold, bauxite, manganeseGUINEA rice, coffee, pineapples, cassava bauxite, iron ore, uranium
GUINEA-BISSAU rice, maize, cassava, fish bauxite, phosphatesKENYA coffee, tea, maize, sugarcane, livestock limestone, soda ash, rubies
LESOTHO livestock, maize, sorghum water (hydro)LIBERIA rubber, timber, rice, cassava iron ore, diamonds
LIBYA wheat, olives, dates petroleum, gypsum
Mineral ResourcesAfrican Countries
World Reach/Exploring Africa
MADAGASCAR coffee, vanilla, sugar, timber graphite, chromite, coal, bauxiteMALAWI tobacco, tea, maize, cassava limestone
MALI cotton, livestock, millet, rice gold, phosphatesMAURITANIA fish, livestock, millet, rice iron ore, gypsum, copper
MOROCCO wheat, barley, citrus, dates phosphates, iron ore, manganeseMOZAMBIQUE cotton, cashew nuts, maize, cassava coal, titanium
NAMIBIA millet, sorghum, livestock diamonds, copper, uranium, goldNIGER cotton, millet, sorghum, cassava uranium, coal, iron ore
NIGERI Acocoa, groundnuts, palm oil, maize,
sorghumpetroleum, tin, columbite, iron
oreRWANDA coffee, tea, sorghum, beans, bananas gold, tin ore
SAO TOME & PRINCIPE fish, palm kernels, bananas _______SENEGAL cotton, groundnuts, sorghum, rice phosphates, iron ore
SEYCHELLES coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, cassava ______SIERRA LEONE rice, coffee, palm kernels diamonds, bauxite, iron ore
SOMALIA bananas, sorghum, fruits, livestock uranium
SOUTH AFRICAmaize, wheat, sugar, fruits, livestock,
poultrygold, diamonds, uranium,
chromiumSUDAN cotton, sorghum, millet petroleum, iron ore, copper
SWAZILAND sugar, maize, fruits, timber asbestos, coal, clay
TANZANIA coffee, tea, cotton, maize, cassavatin, phosphates, iron ore,
diamondsTOGO coffee, cocoa, yams, cassava, maize phosphates, limestone
TUNISIA olives, dates, citrus, wheat petroleum, phosphates, iron oreUGANDA coffee, tea, cassava, maize, bananas copper, cobalt
WESTERN SAHARA fish, livestock phosphates, iron oreZAMBIA maize, sorghum, groundnuts copper, cobalt, zinc, lead
ZIMBABWE cotton, tobacco, maize, livestock coal, chromium ore, asbestos
Has colonialism left a legacy?
Do these pictures represent China’s true interest in Africa?
“China is investing in Sub-Saharan
Africa's infrastructure by
contributing to the construction of roads, railways,
dams and bridges. Technological
know-how is being shared. China is of course interested
in helping Africa in this way, so that its wealth of resources can more easily be extracted and used in China's booming
economy.” (Blij, Muller and
WinklerPrins 2009, 208)
Chinese Involvement in Africa
http://www.focac.org/eng/
Forum on China-African Cooperation
China views the African countries as developmental possibilities into full fledged trading partners, and not as colonies as reflected in Chinese aid and projects
http://www.focac.org/eng/
Comments
Nigerian diplomat in Beijing: “The Chinese have an advantage of not having a colonial hangover. Whatever the Chinese do for Africa is very credible in our eyes. You have to understand this. We think maybe we can learn something from the Chinese.”
http://www.focac.org/eng/
CommentsChina is a different as a donor and strategic partner because it is also a developing country, and its development success give it a great deal of credibility as a partner with relevant recent experience. Liberia’s former Finance Minister Antoinette Sayeh commented, “ Clearly, for us, in Africa, we have a lot to learn from China, beyond its financial capacity to assist. China has made the most progress over the past several decades in reducing poverty. That experience is of great interest to us.”
CommentsThe previous comments are made about China because of the aid China received primarily from Japan after WWII. Japan treated China as a mutual trading partner, not just a territory to colonize. This situation boosted both economies up. China quickly realized that as itself a developing country it can only benefit by replicating the kind of aid it received to other countries. Where in the world are there many underdeveloped countries to build trading partners? Africa!
http://www.focac.org/eng/
Comments
Since Communist China is still very secretive about its financial dealings, all charts / graphs are estimates by the originators sources and seem to conflict with others. But the one thing that can be agreed upon is that China has invested heavily in Africa.
Just how involved is China with Africa?
Aid / Investment Structuring
Chinese Involvement in Africa
Aid / Investment Structuring
But why Africa?
Where are the developing China’s undeveloped and unpopulated oil fields?
Chinese Involvement in Africa
Chinese Involvement in Africa
Is China now trying to colonize Africa?
Nigeria
20 75 10 290 5
2700
8300
Restaurant
Rubber
Motorcycles
Telecomms
Telecomm Svc
Refineries
Rail
In Millions
Sudan
Sudan
“China also supported Khartoum diplomatically, insisting that the United Nations get Khartoum’s permission before sending UN troops to help police in Darfur. They watered down or abstained from Security Council resolutions to impose economic sanctions. “We don’t believe in embargoes,” a senior Chinese official said. “That just means that the people suffer. From a practical consideration, embargoes and sanctions can’t solve problems, just like armed invasion cannot solve problems.” China’s business-as-usual engagement with Khartoum continued, even as a chorus of criticism swelled. “There may able profit to China in turning a blind eye to all of this,: a report for The Economist concluded, “but there is no honor.”
Then China began to change. During a state visit to Sudan in early 2007, Chinese President Hu Jintao held “frank” discussions with Sudan’s President Bashir. “Usually China doesn’t send messages, but this time they did,” China’s UN ambassador said, emphasizing: “it was a clear, strong message.” Sudan had to agree to the UN proposal to send joint UN-African Union peacekeepers to Darfur. China “never twists arms,” the ambassador said, but Sudan “got the message.” (Brautigam 2009, 283).
Merowe Dam in Sudan
Airport construction in Khartoum
Angola
Chinese Involvement in AfricaWhat do you think?
Chinese Involvement in Africa
Alden, C. 2007. China in Africa. New York, N.Y.: Zed Books Ltd.
Brautigam, D. 2009. The Dragon’s Gift. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press.
De Blij, H. J., Muller, P. O., WinklerPrins, A. M. G. A., 2009. The World Today: Concepts and Regions in Geography 4th ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons.
Van Dijk, M. P. The New Presence of China in Africa. The Netherlands: Amsterdam University Press
“Africa: China’s Great Leap into the Continent,” UN Office for the Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs, Humanitarian News and Analysis, March 23, 2006, available at: www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportID=58530 (accessed May 22, 2009).
Council on Foreign Relations. China, Africa and Oil. Available at http://www.cfr.org/china/china-africa-oil/p9557
Chinese Involvement in AfricaForum on China-African Cooperation. China strengthening Africa’s
infrastructure base. Available at http://www.focac.org/eng/jlydh/xzhd/t674046.htm
Ogunkola E. O., Bankole A. S. China-Nigeria Economic Relations – AERC Scoping Studies on China-Africa Relations. 2008. available at http://www.aercafrica.org/documents/china_africa_relations/Nigeria.pdf
Rotberg, R. I., 2008. China into Africa: Trade, Aid and Influence. Baltimore, MD: Brookings Institution Press
Stiftung H. B., 2010. Chinese and African Perspectives on China in Africa. Kampala Uganda: Pambazuka Press.
U.S. Energy Information Administration. Country Analysis Briefs. Available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/cabs/index.html
http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/teachers/curriculum/m6/activity4.php
http://www.aercafrica.org/documents/china_africa_relations/Nigeria.pdf