Let us not think outside the box, Japan is bigger than all of them
What you need to know:
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sought to tell Africa that he would lobby for the continent to get a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, the most powerful committee in the world.
- The ship container berth Japan is building at the Mombasa port is going to be better than what Durban has.
- There is a lot Japan can offer – which she is doing already – in health, agriculture and human resource training.
No question about it, the Tokyo International Conference on Africa Development (Ticad) was a beautifully choreographed show. Kenya did it well.
Handling all those Heads of State was something to do. But there was one big elephant in the room – China. And hardly anybody noticed, except Japan.
“Quality infrastructure” was the thing the Japanese kept stressing and promising. The Japanese put it on top of their agenda. There is no doubt about them delivering the very best the world can offer. They are excellent at that.
The ship container berth they are building at the Mombasa port is going to be better than what Durban has. But look at the catch and the words couched therein. Quality in Japanese is a very big thing. In Ticad’s context it was meant to tell us “Made in China” is inferior. The two countries have a deep, historic rivalry.
Japan was here for another purpose. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sought to tell Africa that he would lobby for the continent to get a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, the most powerful committee in the world. Only five states sit there – the US, Russia, China, Britain and France.
They are the victors of World War II, and they want the world to remain as they shaped it. Japan wants in, which is only fair being the second largest financial contributor to the UN.
However, Japan’s interest is not really to lobby for Africa, but for herself. She badly wants the UN Permanent Security Council seat. She knows Africa has 53 votes at the UN General Assembly, but which don’t matter either way because the Security Council overrides everything.
But the numbers do count, if only in gauging the global mood. Tokyo is willing to pay a lot of money to get her goal, from which Africa can only benefit.
The USA, being the most powerful nation in the world, is believed not to be against Japan’s ambition. This has to do with geopolitical reasons about containing a rising China. The latter, however, is certain to use her UN veto to block Japan, never mind Africa’s 53 votes. China’s official CCTV media had a telling response to Ticad. It censored Japan for supposedly “politicising” the Nairobi conference.
Japan is the third biggest economy in the world, after the US and China. But, like the US, her trade with Africa is minimal. It accounts for just $25 billion annually, which is a tenth of China’s.
HEALTH EQUIPMENT
That is roughly a tenth also of the revenue the Toyota company generated last year ($248 billion) from its global operations. But there are plenty of Japanese spillovers beyond the SGRs and the roads China is building. Most likely you drive a reconditioned Toyota or Nissan car. Plus most of the matatus on our roads are Japanese. And the boda boda motorbikes too.
Japan is huge not just in infrastructure. There is a lot she can offer – which she is doing already – in health, agriculture and human resource training.
The Asian giant exports some of the most advanced diagnostics and health equipment in the world. And before the Chinese stormed our world, the Japanese had already been around as numerous mega projects attest.
I am right now in Mombasa and can count Nyali bridge as one of them. Kilindini port is set to undergo a major Japanese makeover.
I don’t suppose Japan is looking to dislodge China from her perch as Africa’s top trading partner. Her interest is to check this rise. So is America’s interest. In any case Japan’s biggest trading partners are East Asia, the European Union and the US, in that order. Africa is a minor dot to the massive Japanese economy.
I am sure President Uhuru Kenyatta was ecstatic over the Ticad attendance by Heads of State and the fact that the event was held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, which bears his father’s name. He loves that place being activated after Daniel arap Moi ignored it for years.
I am told Uhuru had tried to persuade the Americans to hold the ceremonies there when President Barack Obama visited, but they refused on security grounds and chose to hold their public forum at Kasarani.
I hope Robert Mugabe was not rude to the young Kenyatta considering he fulminated against his personal appearance at the International Criminal Court as a “betrayal” of all that Old Jomo stood for. On that, I agreed with Uncle Bob.
