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https://theconversation.com/china-reaps-most-of-the-benefits-of-its-relationship-with-africa-whats-behind-the-imbalance-237949>
"The ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing takes place under the
theme of “Joining hands to advance modernisation and build a high-level
China-Africa community with a shared future”. But how shared can that future be
between the Asian economic giant and Africa?
The eight summits since 2000 have not resulted in mutual gain, particularly in
trade and industrialisation for Africa. China has reaped most of the benefits.
The fault lies with Africa’s lack of a strategy for engagement with China.
I am a scholar of international relations and have researched Africa-China
relations over several years.
The China-Africa cooperation forum has become the most important event on the
African international relations calendar. More African leaders attend these
summits than the United Nations general assembly. Data shows that the forum
attracts 40 to 60 African heads of state and government, far more than any
other regular summit with a single country. The US-Africa Leaders Summit in
December 2022 saw participation by 45 heads of state and government and 49
countries, but it is far less frequent. The previous one was in 2014.
Although the EU, France, South Korea and the US are important to the African
continent, they do not have the same ambition that China has. Nor the kind of
free hand that China’s authoritarian system allows its leaders. The Forum on
China-Africa Cooperation is therefore important for African leaders because it
often leads to big promises which outweigh anything that can be promised by
other partners in one sitting.
The forum’s defined purpose is to be a platform for
equal consultation, enhancing understanding, expanding consensus,
strengthening friendship and promoting cooperation.
It has become clear, however, that the forum is a platform for China to dole
out aid and loans to African countries, and to articulate priorities that serve
its own broader ambitions. Africa’s voice is minimal in the agenda-setting, due
mostly to the multiplicity of African states, African Union weakness and
competing needs among African countries.
Africa needs a concerted approach towards China and all of its so-called
strategic partnerships. The AU Commission should negotiate and set the overall
direction in these forums."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
