China and Africa: Cooperating With the US to Build A Stronger Africa

This morning Thomas Christensen, US Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and James Swan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, made a joint presentation before the Senate Subcommittee on African Affairs of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, China in Africa: Implications for US Policy. The report examines China's historical relationship with African countries, China's modern relationship with Africa, and ways that the US and China can work together to promote common foreign policy goals in Africa.

As to China's historical relationship with Africa:

China’s engagement with Africa is not new. Beijing initiated bilateral assistance to Africa in 1956 and, by its own account, has funded over 800 projects between 1957 and 2008. There are few capitals in Africa where China has not built a showpiece building, from a national sports stadium to a gleaming new ministry headquarters. Estimates of Chinese development assistance to Africa in this decade vary, but tend to fall around $1-$2 billion per year. This amount is still relatively modest in comparison to the annual contributions of $18 billion (including debt relief) provided by the European Union (EU) and member countries, $9 billion from multilateral institutions, and about $5 billion from the United States Government.

The report explains that:

Whereas the foundation for China’s early interaction with Africa was the promotion of a shared leftist, anti-colonial ideology, the common ground now is mostly a convergence of economic interests in a global trading system.

And the numbers certainly bear this evolving relationship out. Between 2000 and 2007 bilateral trade between China and Africa grew from $10 billion to $70 billion with China becoming Africa's second largest trading partner in the process. China's foreign direct investment in Africa increased almost five-fold between 2003 and 2006 from $491 million to $2.5 billion. The most common forms of China FDI in Africa are textiles, light manufacturing, construction and agriculture. The report makes sure to point out that with the exception of Sudan, China's oil companies are "not dominant players in Africa's energy industry," with China's total oil production in Africa being equal to 1/3 of ExxonMobil's African production in 2006.

The real question that the authors seek to answer is how can the US and China work together to promote common goals in Africa. In seeking common ground the authors argue that we should focus on our foreign policy goals in Africa while ignoring the affects of working together in Africa on the US-China bilateral economic relationship. The authors identify the following as US foreign policy priorities in Africa:

• Promoting democracy
• Human Rights
• Political stability
• Good governance
• "Sustainable economic development to improve the health, education and living standards of the continent's population"

The authors laud China's considerable contribution to the economic development of Africa, and they believe that this contribution will only grow which is to the benefit of Africa. They do argue though that the global community will only support China's growth in Africa if the world thinks that China is committed to economic development and not just securing strategic commodities.

The authors are also pragmatic in recognizing that we need to work with China in promoting good governance, human rights and transparency in Africa -- notice democracy is not there. The report does acknowledge current cooperation between the US and China, areas for potential cooperation, and areas where China needs to improve.

Current cooperation between the US and China is limited to two areas. The first is peace-keeping missions in and the rebuilding of Liberia. The second is "by supporting conferences and symposiums." An example given by the is the Vital Voices Summit for African Women.

Areas for potential cooperation include public health programs which are currently being independently pursued by each nation, and agricultural programs to boost agricultural output in Africa. Plans for agricultural cooperation between the US and China are being set in Ethiopia and Angola.

And, the State Department takes the view that while China has done some positive in Sudan by having the only non-African peace-keeping force in Darfur, China's image and "ability to play the role of responsible stakeholder in Africa's affairs" is undermined by its close ties with Zimbabwe and Sudan. The State Department argues that China should to use its influence with Sudan to curb Sudan's use of violence against its civilians and rebels. Also, the State Department urges China to "halt its companies' substantial arms trade with Sudan" and Zimbabwe.

Also, the State Department would like to see greater transparency in the aid that China is contributing to Africa which will help the IMF and World Bank to make better assessments in the long-term, stable economic growth of Africa.

There is an undercurrent of American chauvinism in the report, otherwise the level of cooperation that the report calls for is Obamaesque. Except for the lack of mention of HIV AIDS, not one single mention, unless you count "endemic diseases." That's certainly Bushy. And they even mentioned malaria and polio by name...

Well, we'll have a new State Department in less than a year.