The Economist - UK (2022-05-28)

12 Special report China in Africa TheEconomistMay28th 2022

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Hassan,visitedtheWhiteHouseinApril.ShetoldAmericanoffi­

cialsthathercountrywouldnot“engageinanyactivitythatwould

compromisetheirsenseofsovereignty”,saysa seniorofficial.Yet

theAmericansworrythatTanzaniamightallowChina’snavyto

useitsportsevenwithouta formalbase.EquatorialGuineahasal­

sodeniedagreeingtoa Chinesemilitarybase,butitisa logical

candidate.Piracyisa scourgeintheGulfofGuinea,givingChinaa

pretext.A Chinesecompanyhasdevelopeda deepwaterport.And

thecorruptdictatorshipisinwantofcash.Theimfapproveda

bail­outin2019.AndAmericaanditsallieshaveseizedassetsfrom

thefamilyofthepresident,TeodoroObiangNguemaMbasogo.

InthepastsevenmonthsJonFiner,deputynationalsecurity

adviser,andMollyPhee,assistantsecretaryofstateforAfrica,

havebothvisitedEquatorialGuineatopressthecaseagainsta Chi­

nesebase.TheirvisitshighlightwhatAmericabelievesit canoffer

thatChinacannot:a veneerofrespectability.Fora pariahdictator­

ship,embarrassedbyaccusationsofcorruptionandhuman­rights

abuses,thatmightbetempting.Then,justdaysafterMrFiner’s

visit,XiJinpingspokebytelephonewithMrObiang.

ForeverygoodthatChinawantsfromthecontinent,African

leaderscanextractsomethingofvaluetothem.Foreachconcern

AmericaexpressesaboutChina’sstrategicaims,governmentscan

playthattotheiradvantageaswell.Chinamaybeactingoutof

self­interestonthecontinent,especiallywhenexpandingitsmil­

itarypresence.ButAfrica’sleaderssaytheydealwithChinawith

theireyesopen,lookingoutfortheirowninterests.

The Bidenadministrationisnotsurewhether itslobbying

workedonEquatorialGuinea.Oneofficialreportstheregimeas

saying“unequivocallythattheyhavenoplanstomoveforward”

witha Chinesebase.AfterMsPhee’svisitthevice­presidenttweet­

edhisthanksfora giftofa compass.Hedidnotsayinwhichdirec­

tionit waspointing.n

Thefuture

Countering China in Africa

A

fricansliveglobalisedlives.Thosewhotravelto  work  on

Chinese­built roads may do so in Japanese minibuses embla­

zoned  with  images  of  players  from  European  football  leagues,

pinging  messages  on  American  social­media  platforms.  They

worry about rising prices, a global pandemic gumming up supply

chains and a Russian dictator’s decision to invade Ukraine. 

China,  against  this  background,  is  just  one  foreign  influence

among  many.  But  it  is  seen  differently.  In  April  the  survey  The

Economistcommissioned from Premise, a pollster, asked Africans

in seven countries, a mix of democracies and authoritarian states,

which would be more powerful in a decade’s time: China or Amer­

ica. In all seven the answer was China. Overwhelmingly they also

felt that China’s influence was favourable, as well. 

Western  countries  instinctively  see  such  views  as  warnings:

ominous  signs  that  they  are  losing  a  global  battle  for  influence.

There are certainly areas where it makes sense to think of China’s

role on the continent as part of a broader struggle for power in the

21st century. The prospect of several Chinese military bases in Af­

rican ports, a Chinese stranglehold over digital infrastructure and

a grip on minerals that are vital to a greener future, the wooing of

African  political  parties  by  the  Chinese  Communist  Party:  all  of

these things potentially threaten Western interests.

China’s engagement with Africa represents an opportunity for

the West as well as a threat. To seize it means resisting the tempta­

tion to see everything China does as part of a zero­sum game. Chi­

nese lending, construction or other business activities are not in­

herently bad or dangerous. Its growing role also offers a chance to

understand how the world looks from Africa. African politicians

have appreciated not just material help from Beijing, but also the

sense  of  not  being  patronised.  They  like  seeing  their  economies

treated as business opportunities rather than places to run rando­

mised trials for foreign aid. Appreciating why China is seen as po­

werful and popular would help Western policy towards Africa. 

Wisely,  under  Joe  Biden,  America  has  abandoned  the  Trump

administration’s  rigid  approach  of  telling  countries  they  must

make a binary choice between America and China. The adminis­

tration’s  infrastructure  programme,  Build  Back  Better  World

(b 3 w), is seen as a response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It

was followed more recently by the eu’s Global Gateway infrastruc­

ture­for­Africa plan. Although thin on detail, these may yet turn

out to be well­timed, given that China’s lending has dropped in re­

cent years. More is needed. Neither b 3 wnor Global Gateway has

yet translated into any concrete or asphalt. 

America and the West also ought to remember their strengths.

If the West is unwilling to lend and build like China, it could en­

courage firms to invest in services, agribusiness and technology,

and remove trade barriers that make it harder for African firms to

export. It should redouble efforts to support democratic and civil­

society institutions. It could be more generous in African debt cri­

ses. And it should welcome more African migrants. 

China has more swagger in its dealings with Africa. Xi Jinping

and his envoys engage with Africa routinely; at the triennial Chi­

na­Africa summits, Chinese leaders like to make splashy promises

of new money and programmes. America makes valuable contri­

butions  in  Africa,  but  less  visibly.  Its  armed  forces  help  African

governments fight extremist groups. It has invested massively to

improve  public  health,  providing  Western­made  covid  vaccines

that work better than Chinese ones (and are free). In April the ad­

ministration gave more than $200m in aid to the Horn of Africa, in

response  to  a  food  crisis  aggravated  by  Russia’s  war  in  Ukraine.

There is usually no harm in advertising Western efforts to support

democracy, still the most popular form of government among Af­

ricans. And Mr Biden should also visit Africa. 

A less patronising Western approach would be well­timed. Af­

rican  governments  no  longer  expect  huge  loans  and  mega­pro­

jects from China. China’s indulgence of Vladimir Putin and its pu­

nitive approach to countries such as Lithuania are a reminder that

it can be a bully, too. For 20 years China has been a main partner

for  African  governments  seeking  to  transform  their  economies.

Most African politicians, and their citizens, have appreciatedthe

benefits arising from this relationship. But turning to Chinawas

often the only option. The West should offer an alternative.n

The West must try harder to offer African countries

alternatives to China