Thanks China, Now Go Home: Buy-up of Zambia Revives Old Colonial Fears

Sino-African trade has reached unprecedented levels, but the debate over its benefits for Africa rages on. Intent on acquiring natural resources to continue its blistering rate of economic growth, China turns to African nations for oil, metals and other valuables. In return, African governments, like the one in Zambia, receive huge aid and development packages and loans at below-market rates without the “strings” – liberalization, privatization and democratization – required by the West. However, Africans are increasingly frustrated over Chinese influence. In Zambia, riots at Chinese-run copper mines over hazardous working conditions are only the beginning of the story. Zambians also complain about Chinese textiles flooding local markets and immigrants taking jobs coveted by Africans. In last year’s Zambian elections, an opposition party running on an anti-Chinese platform won major backing in cities. In response, the Chinese government threatened to withdraw investment. Tensions mount in African countries where China invests heavily, promising strategic partnerships but acting as tough competitors – and accusations of neo-imperialism continue to rise. Sustainability of this relationship – with Chinese excavation of resources and blank-check diplomacy – is in question for now. – YaleGlobal