/ 3 December 2021

China pledges to support Africa without ‘imposing its will’

Africa China Cooperation Initiatives
Cooperation: Trains in Nigeria are part of China’s initiatives in Africa that includes infrastructure development. (Emma Houston/Xinhua/AFP)

China, faced with accusations that it often plays a coercive role on the African continent, promised on Tuesday to help African countries overcome Covid-related economic woes “without imposing its will”.

Released at the close of a China-Africa summit in Senegal, a joint declaration committed to Chinese non-interference in African domestic affairs, and vice versa. 

The text also included language on African governments upholding the principle that Taiwan is part of China. 

The summit between China and 53 African states, with an emphasis on trade and security, was held in the city of Diamniadio near Senegal’s seaside capital Dakar.

China invests heavily in Africa, and is the continent’s largest trading partner with direct trade worth more than $200-billion in 2019, according to the Chinese embassy in Dakar. 

But Beijing is often accused of using its creditor status to extract diplomatic and commercial concessions. China rejects these charges, arguing that it responds to the funding needs of poor African countries while taking debt sustainability seriously. 

Tuesday’s joint declaration said that China would not interfere in the “development path” set by African countries and that it would also refrain from “imposing its will on Africa”.

There were hopes among some African leaders ahead of the summit that China would offer debt relief, or promise fresh rounds of investment, after the pandemic struck an economic blow to many already struggling countries on the continent. 

On Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed attendees on video link, promising to donate 600 million vaccine doses to African countries. He added that a further 400 million doses would come from other sources, such as investments in production sites, which are in short supply in much of Africa.

African and Chinese officials also pledged to strengthen cooperation in “public health, investment, trade, industrialisation, infrastructure, agriculture and food security, climate change, peace and security,” according to the declaration. 

China-US rivalry

The China-Africa summit in Senegal took place against a backdrop of growing rivalry between Beijing and Washington, and a competition for influence on the continent. 

Taiwan is at the centre of rising tensions between the US and China. The island’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, said the threat from Beijing is growing “every day” and confirmed the presence of American troops on Taiwanese soil.

The summit follows a visit from the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, to Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal, where he discussed boosting local vaccine-production sites, and alluded to the fraught nature of Africa’s relationship to China.

The summit’s joint declaration warned against the “politicisation” of human rights and sporting activities, in an apparent reference to the possibility that the US will diplomatically boycott February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing. US President Joe Biden has said he is considering the move over alleged abuses against Muslim minorities in China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang. It would mean that US athletes would compete but government representatives would not be in the stands.

The summit declaration urged developed countries to “show greater ambition” in the fight against climate change and offer more aid to African countries. 

China and African countries “have a right to development,” the document said, referring to concerns that restrictions on fossil fuels will harm poor countries. — AFP