China and Africa continue their courtship and the skeptical world looks on. China has been assisting struggling African economies with no preconditions and no strings tied, and it certainly does not expect African leaders to come begging for funds. This is a marked change from western attitudes that have for long espoused the democratic cause and human rights issues. But Africa may not be amenable to the western code of conduct and system of governance.
What may appeal to Africa is the business system followed by China, which has made an entrance on the African horizon with new ideas, new ways of doing business and bags full of aid. The relationship has deepened with exchanges in education and culture. What the African masses see is that the Chinese have give them good roads, railways, international standard stadia for games, hospitals, schools and universities. In short, a respite from their bleak existence and promise of a better future.
Western criticism is mainly focused on the lack of transparency and accountability in China’s dealings, and they fear that the Chinese attitude may help the leadership and harm the masses. But the fact remains that it is the masses that are benefiting from all the Chinese money flowing into the countries, thus far deprived of funds for development.
China has reiterated that it is going to double its financial assistance by 2009, provide loans at concessional terms to the tune of $5 billion, enhance the funding of the China-Africa Fund, and is also canceling the entire interest free debt owed by some 33 African countries. Out of the poorest African nations, Uganda has already benefited by investments equaling $141 million, while getting its 17.5 million dollar debt cancelled. The democratic Republic of Congo is getting $5 billion to reconstruct its railway network, build roads and highways, hospitals and schools, and buying all that Congo has to offer, like agro-products, timber and minerals like cobalt and copper. It is the largest investor in Sudan and buys oil worth millions of dollars from Angola
China offers many lessons to Africans to learn from. The secret behind its success has been its investment in its people’s education. Africa has not yet realized the need for adopting the education route to empower its people
Source : Chinafrica
