Global Times - 02.09.2019

BIZCOMMENT

Monday September 2, 2019 B7

G7 should follow through with African aid promises

Johnson’s Brexit maneuver, perhaps a step too far, is bringing the crisis to a head

Boris Johnson is bringing the
Brexit crisis to a head. The Brit-
ish prime minister on Wednes-
day announced plans to sus-
pend parliament for more than
four weeks until October 14,
making life harder for lawmak-
ers who want to thwart his plans
to leave the European Union by
the end of that month. That will
force those who want to pre-
vent a chaotic “no-deal” Brexit
to move quickly – and makes
a contentious election more
likely.
In a letter to parliamentar-

ians, Johnson insisted the pur-

pose of the suspension was to

allow his government to pro-

pose new legislation. But John

Bercow, speaker of the lower

house, declared it a “constitu-

tional outrage,” as did Philip

Hammond, Britain’s former

finance minister.

If Johnson gets his way, par-

liament will be stuck on the

sidelines until shortly before an

EU leaders’ summit scheduled

for October 17. Any renegoti-

ated deal to leave the EU could

then be presented to British

lawmakers as the only alterna-

tive to a chaotic “no-deal” Brexit

less than two weeks later. By

then it will probably be too late

to find another way to prevent

Britain from crashing out.

Opponents of Johnson’s

Brexit strategy will have to move

quickly. They will have little

more than a week to stop him

after parliament reconvenes on

Tuesday. They have two broad

options: Force the prime min-

ister to seek an extension to

Brexit, or pass a motion of no

confidence in his government.

Johnson may be gambling that

rebels in his Conservative Party

will not bring him down as long

as there is a chance of a revised

Brexit deal. Alternatively, he

may hope a showdown with

parliament will trigger an elec-

tion, the one that the former

mayor of London insists he

does not want.

More than three years after

Britain voted by a narrow ma-

jority to quit the EU, there is

still no clarity about how the

country will depart, or whether

it will leave at all. Johnson’s

Brexit maneuver is the latest

attempt to narrow the range of

options. However, suspending

parliament may be a step too

far – even for people who voted

to “take back control.”

The author is Peter Thal Larsen, a

Reuters Breakingviews columnist.

The article was first published

on Reuters Breakingviews.

[email protected]

By Sun Haichao Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

V

ery few people held an optimis-
tic attitude about this year’s G7
Summit except French President
Emmanuel Macron, who attached an
air of importance to it. Reasonably, it
offers a stage for France to play a major
role in the international community. To
showcase France’s global influence, Ma-
cron has set his sights on Africa.
National leaders from five African
countries including South Africa,
Egypt, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, and
Senegal, along with leaders from the
African Union and African Develop-
ment Bank were invited to the G7
Summit. Also included
on the invitation list
were the heads of
important inter-
national political
and financial
institutions
like the United
Nations, World
Bank, IMF and
the Organisation
for Economic Co-
operation and De-
velopment (OECD).
Last year, Macron
proposed the major topics for
the G7 should cover the elimination
of inequality and African assistance
to boost its development and address
safety concerns. However, a joint state-
ment was not issued at the end of this
year’s summit.
This was an indication that no mat-
ter what kind of promises were made
to Africa, they will not bring substantial
benefits.
Since the government of former
president Charles de Gaulle in the
1960s, Europe and Africa have been
two strategic pillars and driving forces
for France to emerge as a significant
power, and both are indispensable.
Developed countries must shoulder the
responsibility of helping developing
countries, but such advocacy is only
acknowledged verbally.
Nearly two decades have passed
since the announcement of the Mil-
lennium Development Goals, which
were designed by the UN to help Africa.
Nonetheless, the promises that have
been made by developed countries have

been far removed

from reality.

There still exists eco-

nomic, political, finan-

cial, and military control

over the former colonies.

Many African countries

have had to rely on finan-

cial aid and peacekeeping

troops to develop their economy and

ensure security.

At present, developed countries want

to reinforce the presence of the G7,

whose influence has declined, so they

highlight the objective of “promoting

African interests.”

However, people will not forget that

some African coun-

tries became victim

to the “Arab Spring,”

a series of revolts in

the Middle East initi-

ated by the West.

If Western

developed countries

like the US and European

nations sincerely want to assist

Africa, such actions will be welcomed

by all countries, including China. But if

they only want to revive their strategic

influence and status in Africa, they are

unlikely to reach this goal. There are

two reasons that support this view.

First, the idea of deeming Africa as

a sphere of influence has bored the

continent. On the one hand, Western

developed countries emphasize the sig-

nificance of Africa in geo strategies; on

the other hand, they only shout slogans

instead of putting them into practice

when it comes to providing aid.

As the most influential Western

country for Africa, France has long

considered it a traditional sphere of

influence. As a result, France retains

the “natural vigilance and hostility”

toward other countries’ involvement in

African affairs.

One case is that the US Africa Com-

mand is still located in Germany

and not Africa due to

the objection and

disagreement from

France. Neverthe-

less, French aid to

Africa has failed

to satisfy many

African nations.

Second, after

several decades’

exploration, Af-

rica has strength-

ened its indepen-

dent thinking. Some

of the ideas and lessons

are obtained through Africa’s

first-hand experience. African countries

are forming their own judgments about

what is good for self-betterment and

what is more feasible and convincing

than Western “strategies.”

For several consecutive years, China

has been Africa’s largest trade partner

and foreign investor. Based on observa-

tions in Africa, drastic changes have

taken place in many African countries,

thanks to China-Africa cooperation.

Moreover, as the largest develop-

ing country in the world, China is the

most suitable partner to provide Africa

with development experience. The

continent’s advance is an opportunity

for the world, which shouldn’t be a

zero-sum game between China and the

West. Today, it is necessary to respect

the choices and will of Africa. Promot-

ing African interests should be both the

criterion and the target.

The author is the director of the

European Center at China Foundation

for International Studies. bizopinion@

globaltimes.com.cn

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