China in Africa: An NGO view

1
China in AfricaAn NGO view

• Duncan Green
• Head of Research
• Oxfam GB

2
Oxfam in China

• Large and growing programme
• run by Oxfam Hong Kong
• Main focus internal
• environment
• poverty alleviation
• But keen to work on some footprint issues

3
Chinas development footprint

• Climate Change
• China as an aid donor 1bn and rising
• Trade and investment
• WTO
• Regional/bilateral Agreements
• Corporate responsibility
• Natural resource extraction

4
Is China being demonized?

• Yellow peril hysteria in media
• Is China a Neanderthal colonial power undoing
  centuries of Western altruism?
• Response to Western fears of Chinese challenge
• anti-colonial rhetoric employed/implied by China
  equally unconvincing
• Reality is shift from bilateral to triangular
  relationships
• Any shift in balance of power creates
  opportunities and threats

5
Where decent governments are in place

• Triangulation offers alternative to bad Western
  advice (e.g. aid conditionality)
• Chinese companies deliver on time
• Good for consumers
• But lack of local linkages reduces benefits and
  problems with deindustrialization where import
  substituting industries already exist (S Africa,
  Senegal)

6
Where bad governments are in place

• Triangulation gets them off the hook of external
  pressure
• Chad/oil
• Sudan/UN
• Makes it harder for local opposition to create
  political change
• Zimbabwe
• Our fear sitting here in Africa is if you want
  to know where theres a bad HR situation, look
  for the Chinese.
• (quote from local aid worker)

7
Civil Society Views some initial observations

• Trades Unions/Business Associations
• Depends how much they have to lose - more concern
  in Senegal than Sierra Leone
• Consumers delighted
• NGOs little engagement
• Methods for traditional international lobby
  targets (IMF, WTO, TNCs etc) dont work
• Lack of transparency on Chinese presence
• Residual political sympathy?

8
Conclusion

• Move from demonization to serious engagement
• Maximize opportunities, minimize costs
• Engage internationally, including in
  international centres, and in Beijing
• Spend time learning how to understand/ talk to/
  work with Chinese institutions