African perspectives on China in Africa

Abstract

China’s involvement in Africa has provoked much debate and discussion. Is China just the latest in a line of exploiters of Africa’s rich natural resources who put their own economic interests above humanitarian, environmental or human rights concerns? Or is China’s engagement an extension of ‘South– South solidarity’? Does China’s engagement enable African countries to free themselves from the tyranny of debt and conditionality that, through two decades of structural adjustment programmes, have reversed most of the gains of independence? Or is Africa swapping one tyranny for another? Much of the commentary on China in Africa focuses either on assessing how the interests of Western capital might be affected, or on denouncing China for practices that have for centuries been the norm for US and European powers – support for dictators, callous destruction of the environment, exploitation of minerals, and complete disregard for human rights. Lost in that cacophony has been the voice of independent African analysts and activists. They are heard in this unique collection of essays from the prizewinning weekly electronic newsletter, Pambazuka News. As these articles demonstrate, there is no single ‘African view’ about China in Africa, but the authors are united by their concern for, and commitment to, social justice for Africa’s people.