Chinese Investment in Africa and Implications for InternationalRelations, Consolidation of Democracy and Respect for Human Rights:The Case of Zambia
ByMichael Chilufya SataPresidentPatriotic Front, Zambia
Paper presented to the Harvard University Committee on Human Rights StudiesEvents Series, October 24, 2007, Harvard University, Cambridge, Boston, MA
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Chinese Investment in Africa and Implications for International Relations,Consolidation of Democracy and Respect for Human Rights: The Case of Zambia1.0 Introduction
Recent involvement of the People’s Republic of China in the exploitation of Africa’snatural resources has attracted worldwide attention and concern, especially to peoplewithin and outside the African continent interested in the social and economicadvancement of the poorest continent on earth. The concern, debates and speculation arenot without foundation, because with a population of 1.3 billion, China is the most populous nation in the world. It is also the largest country in the world in terms of physical size. The enormous human resource and physical size, cannot, however,generate adequate capital for quality investments at home and abroad. It is, therefore, notsurprising that China has found it difficult to generate adequate capital since the end of its1947-49 Civil War.China’s recent march into Africa is by and large a search for natural resources, andespecially oil, timber and base metals to guarantee survival for its people. This is criticalto coerced internal stability and unity, as well as to ensuring that China remains a global power. As an investor in Africa, China is said to be the continent’s third largest investor,after the United States and France. This newly found economic power has enhancedChina’s influence on the continent, and has a bearing on the conduct of internationalrelations, especially in the 46 African countries that have diplomatic ties with China.The increased clout of the People’s Republic of China in Africa has a bearing onconsolidation of democracy and a culture of respect for human rights, because China doesnot subscribe to democracy and is inconsistent in upholding human rights at home. Chinaalso tends to ignore human rights abuses in developing countries in general, and incountries with which it has closer diplomatic ties in particular. The excuse for ignoringhuman rights abuses in other countries is China’s policy of “non interference” in theinternal affairs of other countries, which basically amounts to appeasement of individualleaders of the countries concerned. 2
China’s increased clout in Africa has emerged at a time when the continent’s democraticevolution is at cross roads. Most African countries embraced democracy and open marketeconomies only in the 1990s, after the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and endof the cold war. Progress towards consolidation of democracy and respect for humanrights has been poor in most African countries, due to the narrow depth of internaldemocratic forces, and high levels of poverty. Most of the democratic concessionsobtained in Africa in the 1990s were in fact obtained with the help of westerngovernments, which relied on conditional economic support. Many African countrieshave, nevertheless, been trying to leave behind their brutal past of dictatorship, economicchaos and decline. Among the principle objectives of the African Union, for example, are promotion of democracy, good governance and respect for human rights. Under thesecircumstances, what are the implications of Chinese economic presence in Africa for international relations, consolidation of democracy, and respect for human rights? Toaddress, these questions, we ought to examine Chinese policies towards Africa and itsinteraction with that continent. We should also bear in mind that poverty in Africa is pervasive, and has hardly spared any one, including the political leaders. The Chinese areaware of this, and are preying on the poverty of many African political leaders.
Background to Zambia
Zambia was called Northern Rhodesia when it was a British colony. It was grantedindependence on 24
th
October, 1964. After 8 years of multi-party democratic rule, thecountry descended into a One Party Socialist State, and changed for the worse, from oneof the most promising middle-income African countries in the early 1970s, to one of the poorest in the world by the late 1980s. The country reverted to a free market economyand multi-party political system in 1991, after the wind of change that swept away thedictatorial regimes of Eastern Europe. Like many other African countries, however,Zambia has found it difficult to consolidate democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. In consequence, Zambia has also found it difficult to attract genuineinvestors and has become the prey of the rogue Chinese investors that have no regard for the welfare of those that are unfortunate enough to work for them, let alone the countriesthat have allowed them to exploit their natural resources and people.3
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Chinese Investment in Africa and Implications for International Relations, Consolidation of Democracy and Respect for Human Rights: The Case of Zambia.
The Leader of the Opposition presented a paper at Harvard University on Chinese Investment in Africa and Implications for International Relations, Consolidation of Democracy and Respect for Human Rights: The Case of Zambia.
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