China is not investing in Africa’s future, as Hu Jintao claims. It's securing natural resources for itself on the cheap. Sure as a side effect some infrastructure is established and a few palaces are built, but such handouts do little to advance genuine development.
Meanwhile, they also render ineffective most efforts by Western democracies to promote civil rights and democratic institutions in Africa. (Though, granted, one can argue that they haven't been too effectiveness so far).
Right now there is only one alternative to the Chinese "buying spree" in Africa. Developed countries must get the WTO trade negotiations within the Doha Development Agenda back on track. Unless the U.S., EU and other trade powers sort out the agreement for development, they will push each developing country towards China. We should not be deceived by the slogans of Sino-African friendship. It is recolonization, fit for today, through economics.
Please e-mail PostGlobal if you'd like to receive an email notification when PostGlobal sends out a new question.
