Chinese premier rolls out “win-win” strategy during Africa tour

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's extensive tour of Africa -- part of Beijing's quest to secure future energy supplies and raw materials for the country's economy, is also being used as a platform to advance China's foreign policy orientation on the continent and elsewhere in the developing world.
The official media has portrayed Wen's trip as an example of “win-win” diplomacy and emphasised China's features as a kinder and softer rising power that does not exploit others' resources in pursuit of economic gain or mix business with politics. Chinese diplomats have also publicly defended China's record on the continent, saying Beijing was “selfless” in its desire to provide help and serve as a development model for poor countries.

Wen's eight-day Africa tour is taking him to Egypt, Ghana, the Republic of Congo, Angola, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. His trip comes less than two months after President Hu Jintao visited Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya and five months before a high-level China-Africa cooperation forum, to be held in China.
The flurry of diplomatic activity underscores China's hunger for energy and supplies which critics say, has led it to cooperation with some unsavoury regimes in Africa and beyond.

This month, rights watchdog Amnesty International accused China of fuelling conflicts and human rights violations by selling arms to repressive regimes like Sudan and Zimbabwe in exchange for oil and minerals. But Beijing has defended its record.
"It is one-sided or wrong to say China's growing ties with Africa are purely for oil," assistant foreign minister He Yafei told. "The aim of Sino-African cooperation is mutual benefit... it is particularly conducive for the development of African countries."

Wen also advanced China's "win-win" diplomacy by matching its country's economic allure with an attractive political line. He said China has no "selfish interests" in cooperating with African countries but wanted to help the "autonomous development" of Africa.
"China has been developing relations with Africa under principles of mutual benefit and non-interference in Africa's internal affairs," Wen said following talks with President of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou-Nguesso.

As the tour began, the political tag line of non-interference was highlighted in the official English language China Daily on Jun. 18.
"China has been offering no-strings-attached financial and technical aid to the most needy in Africa," said an editorial in the paper. "It has been encouraging the African countries to develop their economy through trade and investment in infrastructure and social institutions, without dictating terms for political and economic reforms".
"It reads like a direct rebuke of US and Western powers' foreign policy on the continent," says a Western diplomat based in Beijing. "It is one of the first times they have so openly articulated their diplomatic priorities in Africa and it is meant to present them as a more attractive world power than the US."

Researchers emphasise that Wen's visit illustrates Beijing's gradual shift from giving priority to relations with global powers to building political capital with underdeveloped countries. This shift has become apparent since Hu Jintao became president in 2002. His predecessor, Jiang Zemin was in favour of advancing Sino-US ties as a prerequisite for China's continuous economic development.
"The Africa visits this year, first by the Chinese president and now by the premier, demonstrate that Sino-African ties are high on China's diplomatic agenda," says Wang Yingying, researcher with the China Institute of International Studies.

As part of the bargain for securing energy and mineral resources, China has been providing African governments with economic aid, technical assistance, interest-free loans and preferential credits. Chinese companies have been engaged in the construction of highways, hospitals, waterworks, palaces and sports stadiums. There are about 900 investment projects on the continent estimated to be financed with Chinese money.
Beijing's growing political and economic interest in the continent has been matched by booming bilateral trade. Trade between China and Africa has nearly quadrupled since 2000, hitting a record of $ 39.7 bn last year, from $ 10.6 bn.

Oil is the driving factor behind China's growing engagement with Africa. Beijing has spent billions of dollars securing drilling rights in Nigeria, Sudan and Angola. It has also signed numerous exploration deals with various African countries from Republic of Congo in West Africa to Ethiopia.
The continent now accounts for some 25 % of China's oil imports and Beijing wants to step them up to diversify from Middle-Eastern oil.

Angola, which is on Wen's tour agenda, is China's second biggest oil supplier with exports worth $ 6.58 bn last year. To secure future reliable supplies, Beijing has offered $ 3 bn worth of credit to help repair Angola's infrastructure, which was devastated by a civil war.
Countries, like Republic of Congo and South Africa, which do not have oil also figure high on Wen's agenda but they have resources such as copper and aluminium that China's economy needs.