Sino–African relations West’s paternalistic attitude undermines independent thinking

• Published date: 02 September 2023
• Author: Mauro Ramos
• Publication title: Weekend Argus

The reality is that yes, China was one of the countries most interested in the expansion of the bloc, which does not mean that it was the only one, nor that the group’s growth will represent majority benefits for the Asian country

With the incorporation of Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Iran, a large part of the media, in the corridors and in the analysis articles of the summit concluded that the results were a victory for China.

In general, whether consciously or not following the US’s strategy of discrediting or attacking the Chinese government or the Communist Party of China, these analyses suffer, as usual, from Manichaeism and a lack of information about Chinese diplomacy.

One of the most common arguments was that, by expanding BRICS, China would be able to increase its “influence” over African countries. This is one of the main myths: China did not become the second largest economy in the world and carry out its advances in recent decades thanks to BRICS.

Likewise, BRICS is not a platform aimed at strengthening China, which also does not depend on the group to build its relationship with African countries.

For 13 years, China has been Africa’s largest trading partner. Since 2000, the two parties have had a political co- ordination platform, the China-Africa Co-operation Forum, guided by the so-called Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence: mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit and peaceful co- existence.

The view that China will have more power in an expanded BRICS, ignores that China also builds its international insertion on its own. China contributed to the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia in April. Peace and stability in the region are in the Chinese interest, which has trade relations with both countries. Not understanding this agreement as beneficial to all parties, but rather as an increase in the type of geopolitical power that we are used to seeing, led mainly by the US, is to say the least, unfair.

Another problem is the paternalistic attitude of the West towards Africa. The idea of China’s “growing influence” in Africa pre-supposes that African countries do not have autonomy or the ability to make their own choices based on their interests.

This is what happens with the “debt trap” argument, one of the main anti-China fronts coming from Europe...