Africa has a lot to learn from China

Around the world, opinion is divided on China’s increasing power and what it portends for the international community.

While Beijing has received mixed feelings in much of Europe and in its neighbourhood, shows Pew Research Centre’s December 2019 global attitude survey, emerging markets in Latin America and Africa have favourable view of the Asian economic giant.

A number of factors account for the positive perceptions of China in places like Africa.

Top on the list is Beijing’s most comprehensive and far-reaching poverty reduction record in human history.

In the 1980s, China was home to the largest population living in extreme poverty. In just under three decades, it has turned around its economic fortunes, lifting millions out of poverty.

SHACKLES OF POVERTY

This year, China is primed to shove away the last shackles of poverty and leap into a moderately prosperous society.

African countries have watched China transition from a net recipient of aid, some of which came from the continent, to an economic behemoth blazing a different path of political, social and economic organising.

The continent, on the other hand, became home to the largest band of humanity living in poverty — 100 million more from the 1990s, which has worsened with the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the past two decades, China has intensified its cooperation with Africa, beginning with the founding of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2000. In 2009, Beijing displaced the United States as Africa’s largest trading partner. China has equally ramped up investments and development assistance to Africa in a bid to hoist the latter’s productive sectors for faster economic growth.

NON-INTERFERENCE

The China Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University reports China has advanced 1,077 loan facilities worth $147 billion (Sh15 trillion) to African countries. The top gainers among the sectors include transport ($44.2 billion), power ($37 billion), mining ($18.6 billion) and communication ($9.3 billion).

The China brand has been well interwoven into Africa’s development fabric. Furthermore, its policy of non-interference in domestic affairs of African states has struck a special cord with Africa’s ruling elite.

Irrespective of type, governments generally function to deliver similar services to the people. Beijing has had relative success in providing wide-ranging public goods such as security, healthcare, education, transport systems, and industrial value chains.

LEARNING POINTS FOR AFRICA

Beyond the allure of Chinese development assistance and investments in the continent, there are other key learning points that Africa could leverage in the coming decades to fulfil the aspirations outlined in Africa Agenda 2063.

First is people-centred policy-making. Taking the cue from its revolution-ridden past, China has firmly placed the largest component of the population at the core of its policy deliberations and crafting. Few states clearly outline their development plans and conscientiously proceed to implement them like China’s short- and long-term agenda.

In Africa, development programmes are often divorced from knowledge and spawned on political expediency instead of long-term returns. This has led to a plethora of poorly performing projects and heavy economic toll on the population.

Second is meritocracy. China has proven that it helps to weave a knowledge-based bureaucracy in managing national affairs. It reflects on the kinds of policies the government has developed. One of the key requirements for the Chinese Communist Party membership, for example, is academic excellence. Such a scenario creates a large talent pool to help fashion development projects and ensure efficient and sustainable implementation.

RULE OF LAW

Third is unflagging commitment to the rule of law.

Chinese understand their country’s basic laws and faithfully seek to abide by them. Africa has a big problem in managing the scourge of corruption in the public sector. Conservative estimates show $50 billion slip out of the continent every year through illicit financial flows. To stem graft, mutually reinforcing systems like those in China are needed. China has, since 2012, jailed more than a million people, including high-ranking party and military officials, for graft.

Finally, State competence. This has enabled China to learn from the experiences of other countries, borrowing and domesticating what has worked while eschewing the pitfalls. This is the case in soaring industrial base, as well as marketisation.

African countries have much to learn from China to achieve their domestic aspirations without necessarily becoming another China.

Mr Cavince is a scholar of international relations. [email protected] @Cavinceworld