What Africans really think of China !!!!

[Roybot]

I am entitled to comment on our own business. Indians, if you are unhappy with Chinese way of doing business, go there and compete with us, beat us down, then talk, before that you are just bringing contempt to yourself.

Which part of "The author of the article is a Srilankan" did you not get?

 

[BigTree.CN]

Which part of "A Srilankanis the author of the article" did you not get?

All I saw in this thread is a bunch of Indians, complaining like hell about Chinese "unfair" way of doing business in Africa.

 

[Developereo]

I don't know if this is relevant at all, but one thing to keep in mind is that there is a wealthy and influential Indian diaspora in many parts of Africa, which has been there for generations. Indians in Africa are like the Chinese in south East Asia: an affluent minority which tends to be influential far beyond their numbers.

In other words, China is up against an entrenched constituency that is sympathetic to mother India.

 

[BigTree.CN]

If you think China is not doing enough in Africa, then go there and do more. I believe the Africans are wise enough to determine who is their best client.

No one is stoping you from investing in Africa, it is a very fair game, you pay the highest price, Africans sell you what you want. If you are outbidden by others, blame yourself for lacking a deep pocket.

 

[casual]

Okay here goes. I am an African resident and an Indian citizen who has resided in Africa for most of my life. The African drums are starting to beat against China. China has this foreign policy of doing trade with whomsoever is in power in Africa. They don't care about the popularity or legality of the regime which is in power. Their attititude is simply that they are there to trade and the internal problems of the country which they are trading with is none of their concerns. It may have been a wise policy in the early 80's and 90's but the times are a changing in Africa which is starting to embrace democracy fervently. In fact, a popular ANC leader in South Africa recently remarked that "we were better off under the European colonialists. At least they built infrastructure, educated our people, brought us religion and employed the locals in their projects. With the Chinese, they even bring in their labour and food from China and give us nothing in return except to pay us miserably for our natural resources which they ship off straight to China." It is no secret that most African countries are practically virgins at self governance. They are easy to manipulate. The Chinese have learnt this since the late 80's. When a tin pot government like Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF government is about to be toppled by the popular opposition, the Chinese via North Korea smuggles in weapons into Zimbabwe despite the arms embargo placed on that country by the UN. The Chinese are rewarded with free minerals by the ZANU government for this "favour". Colonialism by the Chinese is not in the form of sending in their troops to take over a country. It is in the form of exploiting the resources of that country for material gain with little material or other form of reward to the country except to prop up some of the illegal rulers and to limitedly build weak and useless infrastructure. The Chinese have this policy of no freebies from us but selfishly run riot with the natural resources of Africa paying a pittance for its resources. Giving African dictators free guns for minerals of that country is worse than the early White colonialists who gave tribal chiefs plastic jewellery and mirrors as payment for their land. The Chinese here generally look down upon the Africans and refuse to respect their culture or to even learn their language. The racism of the Chinese during the 80's when they ran riot assaulting and insulting the African refugees in China is an issue which is still remembered by many Africans. The insistence of Chinese traders and the giving in by the government of that time during the 70's and 80's in apartheid South Africa that they be classified as "Whites" to enable them to participate in the South African apartheid economy is something which South Africa has not forgotten. India had sanctions against the apartheid regime and point blank refused to have any trade with that government, and instead hosted the African National Congress as a South African government in exile in India. India reaped the dividends post apartheid when the ANC allowed her businesses to flourish in SA. Tata and Mithal etc are now leading businesses in SA.

Now before the Indians smirk at the above, India is also following the route of China. During the 90's and as of recently, India was regarded as a fellow brother of Africa whose people settled peacefully in Africa as indentured labourers or small scale traders. Recently however in Central Africa, India has started competing with the Chinese. Whilst India is a respected and loved trading partner in Southern Africa, she should be watching her business investors in Central Africa. They are competing with the Chinese and are starting to duplicate the Chinese way of doing business. Africa is a continent of different states but lose your good reputation in one African country and you are bound to be ostracized in most other African countries. Unlike Asia, there is a stronger bond of brotherhood in Africa. Therefore India, beware.

your argument doesn't make economical sense. africa is apart of the gobal market now. the truth is china is willing to pay the highest prices for african's resources. china is willing to invest the most money in african economies. the way china sees it, business is business, politics is not our problem.

 

[Merilion]

Okay here goes. I am an African resident and an Indian citizen who has resided in Africa for most of my life..

indian never change even he goes to Africa
i rather believe what "kamakazi attack" said in this thread than an indian.
if chinese gov supported SA apartheid regime then why the heck China could win African countries overwhelmingly support China and voted China into UN as UNSC permanent member -- an achievement india yet to accomplising?

 

[PlanetWarrior]

indian never change even he goes to Africa
i rather believe what "kamakazi attack" said in this thread than an indian.
if chinese gov supported SA apartheid regime then why the heck China could win African countries overwhelmingly support China and voted China into UN as UNSC permanent member -- an achievement india yet to accomplising?

Dude please refresh your translator before stepping in to criticize what you perceive to have read. I never mentioned in my post that the Chinese government supported the apartheid regime. Can you however deny that Chinese business was operating in apartheid South Africa ??

 

[Anonymous user]

Okay here goes. I am an African resident and an Indian citizen who has resided in Africa for most of my life. The African drums are starting to beat against China. China has this foreign policy of doing trade with whomsoever is in power in Africa. They don't care about the popularity or legality of the regime which is in power. Their attititude is simply that they are there to trade and the internal problems of the country which they are trading with is none of their concerns. It may have been a wise policy in the early 80's and 90's but the times are a changing in Africa which is starting to embrace democracy fervently. In fact, a popular ANC leader in South Africa recently remarked that "we were better off under the European colonialists. At least they built infrastructure, educated our people, brought us religion and employed the locals in their projects. With the Chinese, they even bring in their labour and food from China and give us nothing in return except to pay us miserably for our natural resources which they ship off straight to China." It is no secret that most African countries are practically virgins at self governance. They are easy to manipulate. The Chinese have learnt this since the late 80's. When a tin pot government like Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF government is about to be toppled by the popular opposition, the Chinese via North Korea smuggles in weapons into Zimbabwe despite the arms embargo placed on that country by the UN. The Chinese are rewarded with free minerals by the ZANU government for this "favour". Colonialism by the Chinese is not in the form of sending in their troops to take over a country. It is in the form of exploiting the resources of that country for material gain with little material or other form of reward to the country except to prop up some of the illegal rulers and to limitedly build weak and useless infrastructure. The Chinese have this policy of no freebies from us but selfishly run riot with the natural resources of Africa paying a pittance for its resources. Giving African dictators free guns for minerals of that country is worse than the early White colonialists who gave tribal chiefs plastic jewellery and mirrors as payment for their land. The Chinese here generally look down upon the Africans and refuse to respect their culture or to even learn their language. The racism of the Chinese during the 80's when they ran riot assaulting and insulting the African refugees in China is an issue which is still remembered by many Africans. The insistence of Chinese traders and the giving in by the government of that time during the 70's and 80's in apartheid South Africa that they be classified as "Whites" to enable them to participate in the South African apartheid economy is something which South Africa has not forgotten. India had sanctions against the apartheid regime and point blank refused to have any trade with that government, and instead hosted the African National Congress as a South African government in exile in India. India reaped the dividends post apartheid when the ANC allowed her businesses to flourish in SA. Tata and Mithal etc are now leading businesses in SA.

Now before the Indians smirk at the above, India is also following the route of China. During the 90's and as of recently, India was regarded as a fellow brother of Africa whose people settled peacefully in Africa as indentured labourers or small scale traders. Recently however in Central Africa, India has started competing with the Chinese. Whilst India is a respected and loved trading partner in Southern Africa, she should be watching her business investors in Central Africa. They are competing with the Chinese and are starting to duplicate the Chinese way of doing business. Africa is a continent of different states but lose your good reputation in one African country and you are bound to be ostracized in most other African countries. Unlike Asia, there is a stronger bond of brotherhood in Africa. Therefore India, beware.

I might get blasted for this but what the heck That was a good writeup

China's method of doing business in some areas are definitely not on the same moral standing of what we would like them to be, but at the end of the day all superpowers play their own shady games to extract the resources they need. Can anyone honestly say no Superpower has not done something shady before or even now?

To the more fortunate parts of Africa with decent governance the people are benefiting from the infrastructure building which almost no country can replicate given the cost and the speed of which China does, of course you will get shoddy and questionable works along the way but that problem is even found in China today. Assuming a western company does the infrastructure will cost many times more, assuming the road fell apart the local government will make the Chinese contractor repair the road or otherwise risk the mineral contracts. I've seen documentaries where you have local people benefiting from the new roads and rails and people who have suffered more due to influx of Chinese farmers etc so everything goes both ways.

As for the less fortunate parts of Africa (i.e Darfur etc) I don't like how China does business with the dictators there but thats how the world works at the end of the day. Where were the great nations during the Rwanda Genocides of 94?
US chose to ignore Rwandan genocide | World news | The Guardian

 

[PlanetWarrior]

your argument doesn't make economical sense. africa is apart of the gobal market now. the truth is china is willing to pay the highest prices for african's resources. china is willing to invest the most money in african economies. the way china sees it, business is business, politics is not our problem.

It isn't my argument. Just reporting on what Africans generally perceive is happening out here. Don't kill the messenger bro. China is not paying the highest prices in many cases. In fact China is usually defiant of UN sanctions on rogue governments here and the rewards for China is astronomically low prices for commodoties which no global rule respecting player will purchase from these rogue governments. You seem to confirm that by stating that "business is business, politics is not our problem". Sadly this mindset is what is causing African resentment towards Chinese investors

 

[Merilion]

your argument doesn't make economical sense. africa is apart of the gobal market now. the truth is china is willing to pay the highest prices for african's resources. china is willing to invest the most money in african economies. the way china sees it, business is business, politics is not our problem.

those indians logic is chinese bribed african ruler for the business. i cannot help but asking what stopped indians--who doing bribes in their own country like hell-- do the same bribes in africa to get business?

 

[below_freezing]

Don't care what Africans think. Does USA care what Mexicans think? No way! Africans should be glad that we treat their rioters with batons instead of machine guns the way they'd be treated back home. If they hate China and Chinese so much get out of China and go to the welcome arms of the non-racist West, of course, if these great shining beacons of democracy will let African blacks in! Or stay in Africa if China and Chinese are soooo bad. We aren't a nation of immigrants and we don't pretend to be multiracial, only multicultural.

 

[Merilion]

Dude please refresh your translator before stepping in to criticize what you perceive to have read. I never mentioned in my post that the Chinese government supported the apartheid regime. Can you however deny that Chinese business was operating in apartheid South Africa ??

there are many chinese oversea, how do u know they are from PRC or somewhere else? in 70,80 time china itself was very isolated and not pro business at all.
and what do u do in SA? don't tell me u are there after apartheid ended.

 

[PlanetWarrior]

Don't care what Africans think. Does USA care what Mexicans think? No way! Africans should be glad that we treat their rioters with batons instead of machine guns the way they'd be treated back home. If they hate China and Chinese so much get out of China and go to the welcome arms of the non-racist West, of course, if these great shining beacons of democracy will let African blacks in! Or stay in Africa if China and Chinese are soooo bad. We aren't a nation of immigrants and we don't pretend to be multiracial, only multicultural.

With respect to you, that is an unfortunate attitude which you have and I sincerely hope that this attitude is not reflective of your government. Which African ever stated that they "hate China and Chinese"? Africans living in China respect the law of your land and conduct themselves in a manner which is required of your people and your authorities. Your statement "stay in Africa if China is so bad" is even more unfortunate. Your biggest source of natural commodoties is Africa and you insult Africans to that extent? Why doesn't your country stay in Asia and do business with your Asian brothers namely India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Russia etc instead of setting up camp in Africa ? I earlier stated in this post that Africans residing in China usually respect the law of that land and the people of that land. Isn't it time that China took its cue from those Africans and started respecting the people of Africa instead of using them and their land as a place of cheap supply ?

 

[PlanetWarrior]

there are many chinese oversea, how do u know they are from PRC or somewhere else? in 70,80 time china itself was very isolated and not pro business at all.
and what do u do in SA? don't tell me u are there after apartheid ended.

The Chinese in places such as Newcastle, Dundee etc in SA and in Gaborone in Botswana proudly identified themselves as citizens of your country. Since you seek a personal answer I will accomodate you on the basis that it is pertinent to the topic. My family emigrated to Gaborone in the early 80's. After the fall of apartheid in 1993 we moved to SA. Prior to that, Indian citizens were not welcome to SA due to India's standoff with the apartheid regime.

 

[casual]

It isn't my argument. Just reporting on what Africans generally perceive is happening out here. Don't kill the messenger bro. China is not paying the highest prices in many cases. In fact China is usually defiant of UN sanctions on rogue governments here and the rewards for China is astronomically low prices for commodoties which no global rule respecting player will purchase from these rogue governments. You seem to confirm that by stating that "business is business, politics is not our problem". Sadly this mindset is what is causing African resentment towards Chinese investors

another invalid argument. if no one else is willing to bid like you said, then that would make china the highest bidder. am i wrong?

and china's policy is that every sovereign country should deal with their own internal affairs. for that is the very definition of a sovereign nation. labeling china as a colonizer for respecting a nation's soverignity is just hypocritical.