The West is losing out to China in the competition for scarce natural resources, says a s h smyth |
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A new scramble for Africa has begun. With worldwide demand for oil and other natural resources skyrocketing and existing suppliers in the Middle East proving increasingly unstable, the West is looking to Africa. But in many cases the Chinese have got there first.
The US Energy Information Administration says China accounted for 40 per cent of total growth in global demand for oil in the last four years, which has led Chinese companies to invest a total of $175m in Africa, primarily in oil exploration projects and infrastructure. Half a dozen nations (including Sudan and Zimbabwe) have already signed energy deals with China. Trade between China and African nations jumped 39 per cent to $32bn (£18bn) in the first 10 months of 2005, according to official Chinese figures. And Western governments are wringing their |
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| When the Cold War came to an end, the Chinese saw a fantastic business opportunity and went for it |
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hands at the thought of the wicked Commies getting their hands on Africa's goodies.
To give due credit, the Chinese have been quietly playing this game for some time; but it has only become newsworthy following crises in the Middle East and rising energy prices. When the Cold War came to an end and the continent was no longer a proxy battleground, the West took its eye off Africa. The Chinese saw a fantastic business opportunity and went for it.
The West makes a mantra of China's anti-democratic stance and poor human rights record to whip up self-righteous popular concern. But ultimately we just want the world's resources for ourselves. That, in a nutshell, is the West's objection to African flirtations with the Chinese.
Meanwhile, the oft-bemoaned correlation between Chinese involvement and lack of democracy is far from clear. Strife in Africa predates any Chinese involvement, and plenty of the worst states still have no connection to Beijing.
Furthermore, the Americans (among  |
