Charles Onunaiju
13 March 2007
Chinese Commerce Minister Bo Xilai yesterday refuted accusations that China's cooperation with Africa is a practice of "new colonialism", saying the African people will never welcome colonialists to plunder their resources.
"Some African leaders believe it is China's entry into Africa and China's increasing trade with the continent that have helped some African resources show their true market values," said the minister in answer to question posed by Daily Trust .
"This means that things have changed now in Africa because the Chinese are there doing some normal and rational deals and offering reasonable market prices," said the minister.
Bo recalled his African tours accompanying Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, saying that wherever the Chinese leaders went in Africa, they received warm welcome from the African people.
"I believe, the cheerful crowd, not organized by the government, will never welcome colonialists in high glee, nor will they welcome people from the other parts of the world who come to plunder their resources," he said.
Trade and economic cooperation between China and Africa has been growing rapidly in recent years, which culminated in the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held last November.
At the Beijing Summit, Chinese President Hu Jintao announced the Chinese government's eight steps to forge a new type of China- Africa strategic partnership, which include doubling its 2006 assistance to Africa in three years, providing 3 billion US dollars of preferential loans and 2 billion dollars of preferential buyer's credits to Africa in three years, and setting up a China-Africa development fund of 5 billion dollars to encourage Chinese companies to invest in Africa.
Over the past decades, China helped build 19 schools, 38 hospitals and several stadiums with 760,000 seats in Africa, Bo said, citing statistics of the Commerce Ministry which is responsible for China's foreign aid.
"China did all this out of sincerity, as well as the friendly feelings and sentiments it has developed toward Africa over the past decades," Bo said.
But some people have criticized China, saying that China's operation in Africa is only for resources and Chinese loans have put new debt burdens on Africa, and accusing China of pursuing " new colonialism" in Africa.
Refuting criticism on China's oil cooperation with African countries, Bo said that statistics show China's share of Africa's total oil export last year only stood at 8.7 percent, compared with 36 percent for Europe and 33 percent for the United States.
"If an 8.7-percent share could be suspected as an act of plundering resources, then what about 36 percent and 33 percent?" he asked.
In history, the Chinese people had suffered a lot from colonialists, and the country had never tried to colonize any foreign land even when it was in the period of great strength and prosperity, said Bo.
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