1 Taking stock of the evidence
You may recall that in the first session the following two questions were asked:
- Does China’s international engagement spell increased cooperation between developing countries for mutual benefit?
or
- Are Chinese practices exploitative, signalling a new phase of neo-colonialism?
These questions are essentially two sides of the same coin and you were introduced to a range of evidence that could help you answer these questions.
Activity 1 Reflecting on China’s impact in Africa
Spend 30 minutes thinking back over the previous four sessions of study and fill in the following table as a way of structuring your analysis. As you do so, consider whether both columns of the table have an approximately equivalent number of factors or whether one side is significantly more heavily populated that the other. And do you feel all factors are of equal importance or are some more critical than others? An opening example has been included for you.
| Factors where China has encouraged African development | Factors where China has impeded African development |
|---|---|
| Builds refineries | Imports labour |
Discussion
Here is a suggested response to the activity.
| Factors where China has encouraged African development | Factors where China has impeded African development |
|---|---|
| Builds refineries | Imports labour |
| Brought new investment in infrastructure through oil-backed loans | Largely enriched political elites in the countries where it invests |
| Created jobs in construction | Chinese firms still import the more skilled labour they need |
| Purchases many of the commodities that African countries produce and so boosted their income | Sometimes misunderstood the politics of a particular country |
| Takes African governments seriously and does not seek to interfere in their politics | On occasion contributed to domestic conflicts, as in Sudan |
| Created local linkages in some countries, e.g. Sudan | |
| Taking a more active role in development and diplomacy following the Darfur crisis | |
| Skills and technology transfer |
Now watch this video with Giles Mohan.
To what extent do you agree with this assessment of China’s role in Africa? If you differ, why do you think what you do?
OpenLearn - Rising China and Africa's development: oil
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