China's Expanding Role in Africa

[M-A Lagrange]

Adam,

A very interresting point. India is with China an emerging power in Africa. But also a power which is present since now several centuries. It's always supprising for new comers to see a huge Hindu temple in Kampala, Uganda, in the middle of the African continent.
Also India has been involved since several years in peace keeping operations (in competition with Pakistan) in Central Africa.
I do not know how far Africa is a priority for the Indian authorities but they are every where (Just like the Chinese). And not just to run smal street shops. Indian companies in Cebtral Africa are deeply involvedinto mining activities (just like the Chinese), large scale farming (just like the Chinese), cheap goods import (just like the Chinese)...

India VS China is coming to be the next big struggle in Africa.

[Ray]

Indians in Africa should not be surprising.

They had gone as labour for the British.

They stayed behind and became commercial successes.

I believe of late the Indian Govt is looking at Africa commercially.

I think Indians should do better than the Chinese since they will be able to adjust to the laid back attitude of Africa since they too are laid back in attitude.

[KingJaja]

The Chinese seem to be getting in on the game. This is exactly the reason why we didn't want noisy announcements and high profile visits by senior AFRICOM officials. We don't want another great power struggle for Africa.

We had one in the run-up to the Berlin conference and another during the Cold War. Africa came out pretty badly after both events: The Berlin conference left us with borders that made no sense and Soviet - American rivalry kept people like Mobutu and Siad Barre in power, murdered Lumumba and made Africa lose at least forty years of constructive engagement with the rest of the World.

Excerpt:

Liang Guanglie, state councilor and minister of national defense of the People's Republic of China (PRC), and his party left Beijing on November 21, 2011 for the Republic of Ghana, the Republic of Uganda and the Republic of Seychelles for an official goodwill visit at the invitation of the ministries of defense of the three countries.

Liang Guanglie’s principal entourage includes Zhu Fuxi, director of the Political Department of the Air Force of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and Zheng Chuanfu, commander of the PLA Beijing Garrison.

Qian Lihua, director-general of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Ministry of National Defense of the PRC, saw Liang Guanglie and his party off at the airport.

The link: http://eng.mod.gov.cn/DefenseNews/20...nt_4318072.htm

[KingJaja]

(It was also a news headline in Al Jazeera English today. Saw footage of a sizable contingent of the PLA being received by the Ugandan military).

I think the US should take a long, hard, look at its relationship with Africa and the Middle East. It is too clouded by fear, threats and hysterics for the good of Africa, the Middle East or the US itself.

Like it or not, Africa is fast becoming a Chinese area of influence (just like Central Asia is a Russian area of influence). The US spent the last decade "baiting the bear". Predictably, the Russians retaliated - and when they did (in Georgia), they used your own Iraq rules, and the result wasn't pretty.

We don't want to be caught in the middle of a super power battle for influence.

And don't tell me you only have the best of intentions, the British said the same thing (or so my grandfather would have told me).

[KingJaja]

I know the Chinese have been in Central Africa for quite some time. They even have a more colourful history in Southern Africa.

I've lived long enough to understand that the best indicator of future proxy wars is the increased profile of public engagements by the future competitors. We saw it with the Soviets and Americans and we are replaying that movie right now.

[KingJaja]

Very interesting talk given by an expert. Dispel's several myths about the Chinese.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za8euDy9n7w

[davidbfpo]

A good talk, but at 45 minutes long others may prefer a review of the professor's book:http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...m-1854588.html

There's also her blogsite:http://www.chinaafricarealstory.com/

[davidbfpo]

On SWC we sort of understand the importance of logistics; railways are an important factor in politics and economics - even if in the West the auto-engine reigns supreme.

Two recent BBC News reports. First from Ethiopia:

Across the Ethiopian countryside 2,000km (1,243 miles) of railway is being built, the first phase of an endeavour to create a new 5,000km network....The centrepiece of the new rail system is the planned line between Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, and the neighbouring country of Djibouti.

Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24869433

Then from Kenya:

Kenya has formally launched a new....railway which should extend across East Africa to reach South Sudan, DR Congo and Burundi. The first section will link the Kenyan port of Mombasa to the capital, Nairobi, reducing the journey time from 15 hours to about four.

What is the common political factor, first Ethiopia:

Both projects began in early 2012 and are joint ventures between the Ethiopian government and Chinese companies that successfully bid for the $3.3bn (£2.2bn) Addis-Djibouti contract, and the $500m LRT project.

And Kenya:

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed the deal in August in Beijing.

Now what comes after such a large Chinese investment? SWC does have a thread on China's increasing role in the developing world (maybe not the thread's title).

Incidentally China's last big railway investment, the TanZam railway which opened in 1975 has been plagued with problems for many years. Last I heard it was due for renovation.

[SWJ Blog]

China is Building its First Military Base in Africa

Entry Excerpt:



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