China: A New Colonial Power in Africa?

Parent Cafe
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<p>Read more here: [China:</a> A new colonial power? - Counting the Cost - Al Jazeera English](<a href=“http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/countingthecost/2013/03/2013330125149342593.html]China:”>China: A new colonial power? | Business and Economy | Al Jazeera)</p>

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<p>I think your use of the term ‘colonial power’ is a misnomer. The Chinese are using their dollar power to make substantial inroads diplomatically as well as financially in Africa. There are entire encampments of Chinese industrial facilities in east Africa particularly. No need to wave the colonial club (or saber) at the locals when you can easily just buy what you want.</p>

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<p>Having done business in Africa, I share many of the fears expressed in the article. A few areas not mentioned where Chinese investors lag the rest of the world are environmental issues, workers rights, governance and transparency. In addition, There are too manyNGOs that are in the area to make waves; they do not serve the locals like they claim. </p>

<p>Investing in Africa is not for the faint of heart, most rural areas lack basic needs such as clean water and forget electricity. AIDS and disease are still rampant, resulting in high infant mortality and low life expectancy. In addition, individuals in rural areas are typically subsistance farmers and do not understand the concept of coming to work daily.</p>

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<p>China needs oil and raw materials to feed its rapidly growing economy and needs additional foreign markets to buy its finished goods…where else are they going to go other than Africa?</p>

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<p>If you google “China buying up resources” you will find numerous articles about China buying up as many natural resources as they can including here in the U.S.</p>

<p>Very smart on their part. Very scary that they may start to monopolize water, forest, energy resources in certain areas of the world. </p>

<p>He who owns the resources has the power.</p>

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<p>China is acting in its own best interests. That is not surprising. They are not a colonial power because they have purchased their way into African and other countries. China is the second largest economy in the world and they continue to manipulate their currency in order to use the worthless dollars we give them to purchase natural resources. I would say that is pretty smart on their part.</p>

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<p>They are also expanding their presence and influence in Latin America, fyi. Obviously, another place that makes sense to go.</p>

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<p>Hardly new, more like a growing power. “Investing” is the favorable way of looking at it. Others call using your “buying power” where there is no “free market” neocolonialism. And no good colonial power was ever at the forefront of worker’s rights, environmentalism, or anti-corruption.</p>

<p>The colony/colonizer relationship was always meant to be parasitic.</p>