In mid-March of 2004, the government of Angola was preparing to welcome a cohort of foreign dignitaries. Government officials deeply desired to impress their guests. After all, the ambassadors they were welcoming had just provided Angola with a $2 billion loan. In a world that has all but forgotten the African continent, foreign investment is especially appreciated by the few nations that receive it.
It may surprise some that these were not American diplomats, nor ambassadors from Western nations that Angola was greeting. Instead, it was the People’s Republic of China that was being welcomed. Delegates from Beijing not only visited Angola that year, but also Algeria, Gabon and Nigeria. These trips — and the economic agreements that accompanied them — were a part of China’s increasing efforts to integrate itself with the African continent. Although this intent may seem benign, the regional sphere of influence China is cultivating has several troubling implications.
Why has Beijing been compelled to reach out to African nations? Analysis indicates that it is China’s expanding demand for oil that has stimulated its proactive African relations.
While it was a net exporter of oil in the 1990s, by 2006 China had become the world’s third largest importer of fossil fuels. Obviously, if its booming economy is to be sustained, Beijing must procure an increasing supply of energy. Estimates indicate that China’s demand for imported oil are to sharply increase from 3.6 million barrels per day in 2006 to 13.3 million barrels per day in 2030.
Clearly, this 10 million barrel addition will be a significant burden. Without cultivating foreign relations with regions that chronically export fossil fuel, the world’s oil supply might by-pass China.
Enter Africa. What do Angola, Gabon, Nigeria all have in common? No twist here — they all export copious amounts of oil.
Consequentially, commerce between China and Africa increased 45 percent between 2007 and 2008 alone. By January this year, Africa was exporting an astounding 80 percent of its oil to China. However, Beijing also recognizes the importance of not only trade, but increased investment. Besides its loan to Angola, China has financed a $300 million dam in Ethiopia, provided a $2.5 million interest free loan to the Central African Republic and purchased $2.3 billion stake in a Nigerian oil rig.
At this point, some may be wondering where the problem is in this. Why does this involvement give the Chinese a diplomatic advantage in the region? Western nations still give aid to Africa. Moreover, many European powers still assist in investment within there former colonies.
All true. Yet African nations have been swayed by the results of Chinese involvement. The minister of construction in the Congo Republic has been quoted as saying, “The Chinese build things, the Europeans don’t.” This suggests that this regional influence of China is developing to the detriment of that of the West.
More troubling to Western nations are the conditions that China attaches to its African investment — or lack of them. Beijing has given aid to disgraced leaders like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Omar al-Bashir of Sudan.
This disregard for humanitarian concerns that should cause nations world wide to be concerned with China’s increased involvement with Africa. Unfortunately, Beijing remains unperturbed. When asked if the genocide in Darfur should prevent Sudan from attaining Chinese loans, the Chinese Foreign Minister uttered a cold, terse reply: “Business is business.”
Joe Wenner is a sophomore in the School of International Service and the College of Arts and Sciences and a moderate columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.
