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China CP: Chinese Aid Not Conditional
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China CP: Chinese Aid Not ConditionalCHINA DOESN’T ATTACH CONDITIONS TO ITS AID He Wenping, Professor-Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 2010, Challenging the Aid Paradigm: Western Currents and Asian Alternatives, ed. J. S. Sorensen, p. 147 There are a number of major characteristics of China’s policy to Africa that may differ from Western approaches. The main characteristics are the following: “No political strings attached’ and ‘non interference’ aid policy. China’s aid policy is firmly anchored in the principle of there being ‘no strings attached’ and ‘non-interference’ in internal affairs. As mentioned in the previous section, this policy has its roots in its shared history and culture with African countries. Both China and African countries are historically colonial or semi-colonial countries, as well as developing countries and recipient countries for a long time. Moreover, China and Africa both attached great importance to “dignity” and “sovereignty” when they sacrificed a lot to fight back against colonialism. As an African adage says, “the receiving hands are always below the giving hands.” The African recipient countries don’t want to sacrifice their sovereignty and dignity in acquiring loans and aid. To a great extent, sovereignty is the last frontier of dignity. Given the painful historical experience of Western interference, plus China’s objective of preventing the West form interfering in her domestic issues, such as Taiwan and Tibet, as well as the success story of China’s own economic development based on “crossing the river by groping for rocks” (to seek the development path that suitable for its own national conditions with no interference from the outsiders), China is careful not to interfere in African countries’ internal affairs, expressing respect and a strong belief that African countries by themselves will sooner or later find their own development path, one suitable for their own national conditions. As stated by the Chinese premier Wen Jiaboa, the Chinese government believes “that African countries have the right and capability to solve their own problems.” In other words, even from a philosophical perspective, China has always believed that, after all, things in one country can only be done by its own people since they alone are familiar with the realities and know what is needed. China CP: Chinese Aid Less PaternalisticCHINA’S “ASSISTANCE” DISCOURSE NOT PATERNALISTIC He Wenping, Professor-Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 2010, Challenging the Aid Paradigm: Western Currents and Asian Alternatives, ed. J. S. Sorensen, p. 147-8 In this sense, China carefully avoids using the word “donations” to describe the assistance provided to African countries. Rather than the language of donor and recipient, China strongly prefers to present its activities in terms of two-way exchanges and two-sided cooperation. The aim with aid should be mutual benefit rather than one-way assistance, and not on one-way donations, as if to a beggar. As a British scholar noticed, Western agencies regularly present Africa as the poorest continent in the world, and as the continent least likely to reach the Millennium Development Goals. An interesting comparison is that China’s Africa Policy does not even contain the word “poverty” while it contains multiple references to “economic cooperation.” While the West applies such rhetoric as “civil war,” “poverty,” “disease,” “corruption,” and “underdevelopment,” the Chinese use such words as “peaceful coexistence,” “common development,” “win-win,” “friendship,” “sincerity,” “mutual respect,” and “mutual benefit.” These beautiful rhetorical words should not just be understood as elegant or diplomatic language, but as showing a kind of new mentality characterized by equality and mutual respect that is quite different from the traditional Western donors” mentality filled with patriarchal behavior. And this approach and mentality seem to have charmed and boosted the confidence of African leaders and help implement things in an efficient way.
He Wenping, Professor-Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 2010, Challenging the Aid Paradigm: Western Currents and Asian Alternatives, ed. J. S. Sorensen, p. 149 Moreover, the opinion and stance coming from African countries are more relevant and important for China’s policy-making. It was said when a Chinese delegation visited a farm that was established with Chinese aid in Tanzania in August 1994, that the Tanzanian side still believed that management power involved “sovereignty” and could not be changed. As for joint ventures, the Chinese side could have only minority shares. In addition, a member of Djibouti’s ruling party approvingly noted that China shows “esteem of our sovereignty and freedom. That’s why we African people always keep a friendly feeling toward China.” In this sense, the making and maintaining of a “no political strings attached” aid policy is a two-way street since it also involves relationships with recipient countries, and their opinions, to some extent, have more leverage than those of the West.
He Wenping, Professor-Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 2010, Challenging the Aid Paradigm: Western Currents and Asian Alternatives, ed. J. S. Sorensen, p. 149 Emphasizing bilateral aid projects rather than multilateral. Most of China’s aid is provided bilaterally and it has evolved relatively independently from the traditional donor community. China has set up embassies in nearly all the African countries except the four that still recognize Taiwan. Since 1956, China’s aid has been conducted in a bilateral way. Even though it began to join the multilateral aid system when it re-entered the UN in 1971, its major channel for delivering aid is still in bilateral.
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