China’s
perceived role in Africa, the real risks it faces doing business
there, and some ways Africa benefits were the subject of an interview by
Turkish Weekly’s Yağmur Erşan.
The
reporter interviewed Christopher Alden, a professor in international
relations at the London School of Economics and Politics. Here are a
few of the questions in the interview.
What
makes China attractive for Africa when compared with the West?
There
are two things that initially made China more attractive for Africa: first,
China doesn’t impose political conditionality. Second, projects move more
quickly when dealing with China.
Many
African governments would tell you that negations with Western governments such
as the U.S. or in the E.U. will last two or three years when a big project or
large investment is on the table. However, most requirements and conditions can
be signed off on within a week or two during negations with China, and then the
country immediately provides the resources.
I
think that the Western press and Western scholars have tended to underestimate
this reality, but it is in fact very important. If you are serious about
development, the pressures of development are immediate. They are not pressures
that can simply be put off for a few years until things sort themselves out.
This is not well recognized by Western circles and for that reason they do not
really understand China’s activities in Africa.
What
are the challenges that China faces in Africa?
I
think that the Libyan crisis was a kind of shock for China. Here, when looking
at Chinese insurance claims, the country lost between $1.2 billion to $1.3
billion as a result of destroyed property, and 36,000 Chinese employees and citizens
had to be evacuated from Libya. This sparked huge concerns from China with
regard to their investments around the continent.
South
Sudan represents another example. I think that this has led China to realize
that that the costs of operating in Africa are higher than they first
anticipated, as the African environment is a complex environment in which you
actually have to possess local knowledge, and in which your security may be
jeopardized or called into question.
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