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