By Ranger
Some Western schools of thought would want us to believe that China is out to colonize and exploit our natural resources like Europe and USA did in the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and still continue to do openly and remorselessly. Firstly, China in the colonial pattern, has never imposed any regime in Africa to promote its interest as the colonialists did and still do.
China maintains a cordial bilateral relationship with all countries on the continent. To understand why China is a true friend of Africa, we have to first understand that China fought for long against imperial domination. In the process, the Chinese Communist Party discovered that political liberation alone is not enough. It should be underpinned by sustained development.
Thus, since China started engaging with Africa, its policy has been one of empowerment in exchange for strong security, economic, trade and cultural ties on a win-win basis.
Today China is not only Africa’s largest trading partner but is also the largest foreign direct investor having poured hundreds of billions of dollars into the continent through its state owned banks for everything from infrastructure – roads, railways, ports, airports, telecommunications systems that enable economic development ,trade and commerce but also invested through its private companies in agriculture, mining, construction, oil and manufacturing industries that are contributing greatly to the continent’s economic diversification and drive towards prosperity.
Thus, it would be disingenuous for any commentator to suggest that China is out to colonize Africa. Rather based on shared common diplomatic, economic and cultural interests, China is helping Africa fill in the huge development deficits left by over 400 years of European and American colonialism, imperialism and post 20th century neo-imperialism.
