China in Africa:An NGO view

Duncan Green Head of Research

Oxfam GB

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

China’s development footprint

Climate Change China as an aid donor: $1bn and rising Trade and investment:

– WTO – Regional/bilateral Agreements – Corporate responsibility– Natural resource extraction

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

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)

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 there’s a bad HR situation, look for the Chinese.’

(quote from local aid worker)

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) don’t work

– Lack of transparency on Chinese presence– Residual political sympathy?

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