WINDHOEK – China will never seek to dominate Africa given the enormous volume of trade and investment that has grown by leaps and bounds between the continent and the world's largest and fastest developing economy.

In fact, said Liu Guijin, the Chinese Government's Special Envoy on African Affairs, China regards Africa as an equal partner and as such views it as a prosperous continent in harmony with China.

Guijin calls this relationship a win-win situation. Guijin was on a two-day working visit to Namibia last week and addressed the local press on the topic of Chinese Investment Strategy in Africa.

Guijin is easily the People's Republic of China's most qualified African diplomat, having been stationed on the continent for most of his diplomatic career spanning well over 40 years.

China's investment in Africa stood at US$106,8 billion in 2008. This represented a 45 percent increase from 2007, while trade with Namibia was estimated to be in the region of N$526 million last year alone.

With this growth China is seen as an emerging global force to be reckoned with and has firmly set its roots in the African continent, which some pundits view as a way of getting closer to Africa's rich resources.

In recent years, China has built increasingly stronger ties with African nations. It is currently Africa's third largest trading partner, after the United States of America and former colonial power France.

As of August 2007, there were an estimated 750 000 Chinese nationals working or living for extended periods in different African countries. China is picking up natural resources – oil, and precious minerals - to feed its expanding economy and new markets for its budding enterprises, especially the construction industry, technological sector, small holding retails and human resources. China is said to have also an "increasing number" of expatriates living and working on the continent.

China has been accused of being a new colonial power and commentators have questioned its dealings with African economies whose human rights records are not doubtful.

"That talk of China being a new coloniser is not originating from Africa, but from a European fear. They regarded Africa as their backyard or garden and now that there is a new person on the ground, they raise the alarm," said Guijin.

Regarding human rights, Guijin said there are "different hats for different heads". It is hypocritical to claim that "some human rights are better than others". China has been the target.

In Sudan, China is accused of selling military hardware to the Khartoum regime in return for favourable trading conditions, a move which western critics say reminds them of an era where colonial powers in Africa once supplied African chiefs with the military means to maintain control as they extracted natural resources.

According to China's critics, Beijing has offered Sudan support, through its veto on the UN Security Council to protect Khartoum from sanctions and has been able to water down every resolution on Darfur in order to protect its interests in Sudan.

Human rights advocates and opponents of the Sudan government portray China's role in providing weapons and aircraft as an attempt to obtain petroleum and natural gas.

On his part, Guijin stressed it is not for China to meddle in the affairs of sovereign states.

"We do not interfere and impose our ideologies or our way of social thinking on our African friends. Our relationships with African economies have equality as the basic principle," said the special envoy.

"We don't call ourselves donors." He said China does not use grants as leverage to effect political change.

China would never "seek dominance in Africa, never seek hegemony, never bully countries into accepting our help."

He made reference to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank devised Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP), which was supposed to have given Africa a boost.

In fact, stressed Guijin, China ascribes to the policy of openness and transparency when dealing with Africa. "China has always adopted an approach of 'do not do to others unless you want it done to you'."

Africa's investment accounts for a "small fraction" – around US$10 billion has so far been invested by Chinese companies in African oil exploration, whereas American companies have invested US$168 billion over the same period. China imports 8,7 percent of African oil according to Guijin, whereas the US and EU both buy 33 percent.

From a very low base, Africa now provides 30% of China's oil imports, with Chinese investments in 27 major oil and gas projects, mainly in Nigeria, Sudan, Angola and the Congo, with rising investments in Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Zambia, Algeria, South Africa and Chad.

Estimates say Africa will need about US$20 billion in aid to overcome the current financial crisis. And China is willing to offer half of that amount, with the remainder coming from the rest of the world. And in this regard, Guijin promised that China would deliver.

"We will make sure that we deliver on our promise, what we commit to - we will deliver."

Namibia and China have been close allies since the liberation struggle era, and the relationship between the two countries is bound to grow stronger, opined Guijin.

by John Ekongo,

New Era Newspaper