Please note: this essay was first written in Chinese and translated to English afterward. I am still learning Chinese so advanced and native speakers may find mistakes or odd word choices.
The information in this essay is primarily from a February 3, 2021 webinar hosted by The Diplomat, “African Perspectives on China.” The conclusion at the end about the future of the Africa-China relationship is my own.
中国的政府和企业在非洲投资的项目特别大。尽管这不是新的现象，但是一带一路让中国和非洲的关系变得更紧密。根据共产党的新闻，中非关系代表双方有很亮的未来。另一方面，美国的新闻公司和研究者认为中国在利用中非之间悬殊的差异。西方学术圈一般觉得中国在非洲的项目对非洲不利。关于这个问题，非洲自己有什么看法？因为这些投资项目对非洲可能有着深远的影响，每个对方有很大的别危害非洲的义务。别的国家没有跟非洲的信托的关系，所以非洲只可以依靠自己。
非洲历史上已经有很多跟更发达的国家合作的经验。他们知道怎么谈判，也知道自己的优点和缺点。他们知道怎么考虑正反。关于中国投资的问题，拉哥斯州大学的Oshodi博士说现在非洲老百姓有两个同时存在的看法：第一个是“龙的礼物,”这个看法说跟中国合作有好处； 第二个是“龙的爪子,” 这个看法也有几个方面非洲的国家可能要以怀疑的眼光看待中国。
根据Oshodi博士和約翰尼斯堡的金山大学的Weseka博士，非洲的老百姓意识到跟中国有外交关系的好处。最明显的益处是很大的基础设施投资项目。他们能用中国公司修的高速公路，铁路，桥等等。Oshodi和Weseka说中国改变了他们的策略：他们过去集中国家跟国家的经济关系，而不是现在中国更注重于民众的关系。为此，中国开始集中修建图书馆，大学建筑，语言学校之类的。确实，中国的最重要的软实力是他们国内的大学：在中国学习的非洲学生、研究者和领导人比在美国和英国学习的总数还多。这让非洲老百姓觉得中国在帮助他们发展。
然而，非洲老百姓知道中国私字当头，因为他们用政治性词藻在新闻和公报，但是最终目的是提高他们自己的地位。Oshodi博士说非洲人能看见他们的自然资源大部分都出口了。他们知道这是一个问题，因为历史上，非洲国家被更大，更发达的国家宰割了，结果常常是非洲丢了自然资源，换来的只是暂时的好处。除了自然资源，非洲的老百姓也觉得中国更重视经济上的权益，无视人权。对非洲人来说，这是很大的缺点，因为历史上他们的贸易伙伴也是这样做的，危害了非洲。
Oshodi和Weseka博士说明中国也有别的问题，是他们的新闻界不懂非洲人的心理。中国的新闻业务在非洲没有得到很好的发展了，因为非洲人对他们有太多猜疑。非洲老百姓不信任中国的新闻界，因为没有选择批评中国。非洲人和美国人一样：他们一般来说也不喜欢自己的政府。所以遇到一个不让自己的人民批判政府的国家，非洲人觉得可能这个国家对非洲不够坦率。另外，新冠肺炎开始的时候，中国的政府的在广州的种族歧视深刻影响了非洲老百姓的观点。那时间的视频证明中国不是真的平等对待非洲人。还有别的类似的例子，如一个在非洲很火的视频里有一个非洲的政治家被中国召见了，就为了数落他。非洲老百姓觉得这些事情突出说明了中国不是真的考虑非洲的最佳利益。虽然这个政治家遇到了不舒服的情况，但是一般来说中国待非洲国家的政府很好。其实，老百姓也觉得这特殊对待不是好的事情，因为通常觉得他们的政府有太多贪污腐化了。这是一个原因非洲的政府越来越趋向于跟中国相处而不是美国或者欧洲。
非洲对中国的猜疑不是随便的，他们深知跟中国有外交关系有好处，但是也有坏处。非洲关于更大的国家，更发达了的国家已经有坏的经历。他们知道这些情况可能会危害他们。不过，中国上世纪也是发展中国家，目前为止获得了巨大的成功。非洲也想要复制这个结果，所以会利用每个机会来帮助他们发展他们的社会。
如果中国希望他们和非洲的关系在非洲发展起来了以后还延续，得改变他们的非洲策略。就事论事，非洲对中国的方法不满意，他们发展起来后，抛弃中国的可能性很大。
TRANSLATION IS MOSTLY LITERAL TO REFLECT WORD CHOICE AND GRAMMAR USED IN THE ORIGINAL CHINESE.
China’s governmental and corporate investments in Africa are extensive. Even though this is not a new phenomenon, nevertheless the Belt and Road Initiative has caused the two countries’ relationship to grow closer. According to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) news outlets, the Africa-China relationship is representative of a bright future for both sides. On the other hand, US news outlets and researchers believe China is in the process of exploiting the vast power disparity between them and Africa. Western academic circles in general think China’s activities in Africa are detrimental to the latter. What opinion does Africa itself have regarding this problem? Because these investment projects may have a profound and long-lasting effect, each side has an obligation to not harm Africa. Other countries do not have a fiduciary duty toward Africa, so Africa can only rely on itself.
Africa has historically already had many experiences cooperating with more developed countries. They know how to negotiate, and also know their own advantages and disadvantages. They know how to consider positives and negatives. Regarding Chinese investment issues, Lagos State University’s Dr. Oshodi says that regular people in Africa have two simultaneously-existing views: the first is “dragon’s gift,” which says that cooperation with China is beneficial; the second is “dragon’s claw,” which in addition has several aspects about African nations needing to look upon China with suspicion.
According to Dr. Oshodi and Dr. Weseka from Johannesburg’s University of the Witwatersrand, regular people in Africa recognize that having relations with China is advantageous. The most apparent benefits are large infrastructure investment projects. They are able to use Chinese-built highways, railroads, bridges, and more. Oshodi and Weseka say that China has changed their strategy: previously, they focused on country-to-country economic relationships, whereas now China is focusing more on relationships with civilians. To this end, China has started focusing on constructing libraries, university buildings, language schools, and so on. Indeed, domestic universities in China are its most important soft power: African students, researchers, and leaders studying in China outnumber those studying in the US and UK combined. This makes the African populace feel that China is actively helping them develop.
However, people in Africa know that China’s primary concern is self-interest, because they use political rhetoric in news and announcements, but their ultimate goal is to raise their own position. Dr. Oshodi says that African people can see that the majority of their natural resources are being exported. They know this is a problem, because historically, African nations have been taken advantage of by larger, more developed countries, with the end result often being Africa losing its natural resources in exchange for merely temporary benefits. Aside from natural resources, Africa’s populace also thinks China attaches importance more to economic rights, while disregarding human rights. For African people, this is a major shortcoming, because historically their trading partners have also been this way, harming Africa.
Dr. Oshodi and Dr. Weseka explain that China also has another problem, that their media does not understand the mentality of the African people. The Chinese news industry has not achieved good growth in Africa, because Africans harbor too much suspicion toward them. Regular people in Africa don’t trust Chinese media because there is no opportunity to criticize China. Africans are similar to Americans: they generally don’t like their own government. So in encountering a country that does not allow its own citizens to criticize the government, African people tend to think that country is not being sufficiently candid with them. In addition, when COVID-19 began, the Chinese government’s racial discrimination in Guangzhou profoundly influenced African people’s viewpoints. Videos from then proved China does not really treat Africans with equality. There are also other similar examples, such as a video widely-viewed in Africa in which an African politician was summoned to China, solely to reprimand him publicly and severely. Although that politician encountered an uncomfortable circumstance, generally China treats African governments very well. In fact, regular people in Africa also think that special treatment is a good thing, because normally they feel their governments are excessively corrupt. This is one of the reasons why African governments have increasingly trended toward associating with China over the US or Europe.
Africa’s misgivings toward China are not random, they are fully aware that having diplomatic relations with China is beneficial but also damaging. Africa has already had negative experiences with larger, more developed countries. They know these circumstances may harm them. However, in the past century China was also a developing country, and from then until now they have achieved great success. Africa also would like to replicate that outcome, therefore it will utilize every opportunity that helps them develop their society.
If China hopes that their relationship with Africa will continue after Africa has already successfully developed, they must change their strategy. Taking things as they are, Africa is not satisfied with China’s methods, and after achieving development, the probability of their renouncing China is high.
