how are emerging powers changing their relationships with the world?(EQ3)

What are the different dimensions/spheres Of opportunities and challenges that China’s investment has brought to Africa?

Social, economic and environmental And political

The relationship between China and Africa is M__________

Driven by what?

Multifaceted

Driven by China’s need for resource resources and markets and Africa’s need for infrastructure development and economic growth

how has China’s investment in Africa led to economic growth and development of infrastructure?

Any negatives??

China has invested significantly in African infrastructure

It has built roads railways ports Et cetera

Eg: Addis Ababa- Djibouti railway was financed and built by Chinese companies

It has improved trade connectivity between Ethiopia and Djibouti

This has generated profit which African nations can reinvest to develop and grow

But this was made primarily with Chinese construction workers so the profits will filter back to China and their headquarters

How has China’s investment in Africa created more trade relations?

African countries have gained access to Chinese markets boosting trade and their profits because they are able to export more raw materials such as oil minerals and agricultural goods

For example: Angola exports a large proportion of its oil to China

However, Angola is largely depending on one sector for economic growth thus if this collapses it could be detrimental to Angola and their economy

How has China’s investment in Africa created opportunities within healthcare and education for Africa?

China has invested in social development in Africa by building hospital schools and providing scholarships

China has built the China – Africa friendship hospital in Tanzania which provides medical service and training for staff

this has proven extremely beneficial to Tanzania and proved that China is willing to invest in the good of the people

But arguably China is not concerned about the quality of life of the African people, but rather concerned about their access to a strong healthy pool of cheap labour

How has China’s investment in Africa created debt trapped diplomacy?

as African nations become increasingly dependent and increase their interdependence with China this creates rising levels of debt due to Chinese loans

For example, Djibouti has accumulated significant debt from China To fund its infrastructure projects- eg: Doraleh Multipurpose port

Djibouti’s debt to China is worth 70% of their GDP

This shows the risk of countries becoming overly dependent on China and may lead to the compromising of this sovereignty as China may begin to demand control of different assets like the port in order to help the African countries repayments

This links to neo colonialism

What does the huge debts owed by djbouti and other African nations to China beg the question of?

This begs the question did China do this with the intention of gaining political/economic leverage knowing the recipient would be unable to repay or were they just doing this to create alliances and actually support the countries

challenge:

How has China’s investment in Africa created an economic unbalance/being based on an economic unbalance?

China Imports cheaper raw materials From Africa, whereas China exports finished manufactured goods to

This leads to trade and economic imbalances as China is profiting more hindering the growth of African economies

Also, this is hindered the growth of manufacturing industries within the African region for example the influx of cheap Chinese goods has affected local manufacturing sectors in South Africa

Chinas involvement in Africa is arguably merely to f_____ their n__-c_________ a_____

Making them d________ on their i_________

To further their neocolonial agenda and make them dependant on their investment

The benefits of the sino-African relationship are felt d__________

(China>africa)

Disproportionately

How is China’s investment in Africa? Created resource exploitation? Give a key example?

Chinese investment in resource extraction particularly mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has increased concerns for human rights and environmental degradation

China particularly wants cobalt – a key earth mineral

The DRC has lost 8.6% of tree cover since 2000 due to mining

It is also estimated that over 40,000 children work in these mines

Why do some people argue that the environmental degradation being experienced in Africa right now is not as big of a concern as people are making it out to be?

Arguably negative environmental impacts dovetails industrialisation as it did with all the western countries on their period of dramatic industrialisation/industrial revolution making it a normal thing and not abnormal

linking to kuznets curve

Give a fact to show how many of the construction employment opportunities in Africa have been given to Chinese workers and why is this bad?

Over 1 million construction jobs have been or are being occupied by Chinese workers instead of African workers

This limits the multiplier effect in African countries as profits will ultimately filter back to China and it is a wasted opportunity to mobilise more of the country into working in order to stimulate the African economies