 others) are enthusiastically selling arms to resource-rich African nations: a policy which, aside from its direct financial rewards, is clearly designed to gain and protect energy deals. What, precisely, is the difference between the US propping up one regime, and the Chinese propping up another?
There is ultimately no difference between having China mine your mineral wealth and having a Western nation do it. The African nations have the right to cosy up to whoever they want. Signing energy deals with China does not represent a pact with the Devil, and the effect of these deals on African nations is probably no more culturally and morally destructive than the relentless torrent of ill-directed aid money and the corruption that routinely follows close behind. It would certainly be better to have China manage your energy industry than have Simon Mann and Mark Thatcher do so. The Chinese, at least, will be there to stay, and in return for their vast profits will offer renovated infrastructure, skilled labour and technological advancement. |
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| It is vital that we avoid pushing the resource-rich nations to choose sides – as Kenya and Zimbabwe have |
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If Western talk of spreading global democracy is to mean anything at all, it must include allowing African states to act like liberal democratic nations and make whatever deals best suit their interests. Interests decided by them, not by the West. It is vital that we avoid pushing the resource-rich nations on whom we are increasingly reliant to choose sides (as Kenya and Zimbabwe have). It is bad enough that we lose out to China commercially; we must not lose out politically, too.
Really, we should be encouraging Chinese involvement in Africa. It has the potential to give African nations a solid economy (assuming the money filters beyond the accounts of the government officials), gives them access to cheap Chinese goods (if they want them), and could help to steer China's energy-dependency away from the Middle East. This last may soon prove crucial if we need China - through its role on the Security Council - to permit the imposition of sanctions on Iran. 
FIRST POSTED AUGUST 8, 2006
 Base crime feeds metal-hungry China
A bit of do about a bit of a coup
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