Early on in the article, author Serge Michel (2008) writes, “Walking through this poor capital city in West Africa, a visitor could be forgiven for assuming he was in some colonial Chinese outpost,” referring to the fact that many of the new things in Brazzaville “appears to have come from China” (p. 39). This struck a very loud and almost dissonant chord, especially with regard to issues of cultural diversity and sensitivity. As I read further into the article, the conflicts between the local African individuals and the expatriate Chinese workers and managers brought into manage African projects and interests became evident. The corporations and individuals at high levels where negotiations and deals are being made seem worlds away from the local people and their immediate concerns.
Despite China’s apparent appetite for African projects and resources, Chinese corporations do not seem to consider those local and immediate concerns. This is unsurprising, given China’s history of using “its influence to counter Western pressures on African states to improve human rights and governance” (Sautman & Hairong, 2007, p. 76). China’s ignoring such issues will likely be their undoing; as both Michel (2008) and Sautman & Hairong (2007) observe, China seems to be no luckier than Western countries in dealing with the rampant corruption, both political and financial, found in Africa. The Western diplomat who commented that both China and Angola were “out of kilter with reality” seems to sum up the situation concisely; the desires, expectations, and needs on both sides of these deals do not align as neatly as they could or should in order for real success and benefits to emerge.
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"“When China Met Africa” Reflection".
Based on Michel’s (2008) article, it seems as though both sides are likely to experience the harsh light of day, though whether it comes sooner or later remains to be seen. It may depend on the willingness of the Chinese to face reality, since Africa seems inclined to view the whole thing as a Cinderella story, with China as the fairy godmother with a seemingly bottomless bank account.
- Michel, S. (2008, May/June). When China met Africa. Foreign Policy, 38-46.
- Sautman, B., & Hairong, Y. (2007). Friends and interests: China’s distinctive links with Africa.
African Studies Review, 50(03), 75-114.
