Very interesting information! Thanks!

G’night

I just unearthed this Danwei TV segment from last fall’s China-Africa summit. At the Delhi Hibiscus meeting in December I remarked how the billboards - which featured photographs of pyramids, Kenyan safaris, and scantily-clad Africans - showed just ho…

Now lets’ the dialogue starts on ideas like these !

Vive le dialogue Chine/Afrique 2007 !
Blaise

Thanks for your encouragement and comment.

Regarding your point,
>>Yang Hui’s arguments appeared to be so well staged and guided by a “shadowy hand” in the background vs. his own independent thoughts and feelings.

I don’t think Yang Hui was guided by a “shadowy hand”, because I have seen many Chinese people can make similar well-organized arguments on Chinese BBSs or Blog.

this is an incredibly informative and honest post about the China in Africa investment debate and how some PR Chinese and other Chinese nationals around the globe view Africa and Africans.

In my opinion there is much more to be learned here than the back-and-forth arguments carried out with Yang Hui at Chippla’s post about the China-Africa Summit in November 2006. Yang Hui’s arguments appeared to be so well staged and guided by a “shadowy hand” in the background vs. his own independent thoughts and feelings.

Welcome to the Africa sector of the blogosphere. Frankness and honesty like yours is always welcome. Where are you writing from, Singapore or the PRC?

Again, thank you for this post.

I have great concerns about the pollution, corruption and nepotism that will inevitably follow China’s development efforts. But at least there will be development. Hibiscus will help that development to be mutually beneficial.

Thanks for the interesting input.

However, I do not agree with most of your view on China’s presence in Africa.

>>Therefore those Chinese are COPYING bad things from China to African.

Indeed, China has its own interest in Africa, but that does not necessary mean China will just do evil in Africa.

China’s development relies on the stability rather than the dynamic of the West’s democracy system. Many argue that China’s system does not suit for the contemporary society, it at least gives an alternative for Africa.

China is far from a perfect country, but no one can deny that it has achieved better development economically than most of other developing countries. China has a lot experiences to share with Africa in this.

With better communication, I truly believe there are some win-win solutions for both China and Africa. That’s why I think Hibiscus is important for Chinese too.

You see, your input helps me learn about China better, even though I grew up in China.

How long the review it is!

I knew the name Durfur for long time. Most of international strong players including ex-secratary Annan in one side while Chinese government and Sudan government are on the other side. Although I didn’t know the detail of what happened in Durfur, I guessed it added an excellent note for Chinese’s evil presence in African in western’s point of view.

I recalled I read a ranking that most of worst governed countries are in African. The western colonists didn’t bring wealth to the land and their people, so did native African elites. In my impression, African continents is a place like China before Jiang Jieshi’s unification in 1927. Tribe chiefs and generals squeeze everything from their own lands and dulocrate the people. There is long way for them to modernize.

Now, the Chinese are coming, not armed with Maoism but with Capitalism with Chinese characteristics. We are familiar with these characteristics in mainland China itself: extreme exploitation, human rights abuse, environment damage, fake products, liars, corruption, bribery and guanxi. Not like in western countries, generals and officials in African virtually love them. Therefore those Chinese are COPYING bad things from China to African. While some of the African governments favor Chinese’s non-interference politics, new educated African youths hates it as well as grassroot peasants and citizens. African is new Chinese’s first global stage and the world recorded Chinese’s clumsy performance.

That’s why westerners are cautious about China’s “peaceful rise”. We all see its behavior in its own land, what can we expect when Chinese step out? When Chinese are struggling with corruption in Beijing and Shanghai, how can they build a clean presence in African? NO!

In such events, there are two voices. One voice is from Chinese government’s propaganda. Firstly no one really believe them. Secondly Chinese readers have to listen to them and have their brain washed since there is no other voice available. Another voice is from global mainstream media, in English or in French. Some are impartial while some are realistic and reflect the interests of multinational companies in African and worldwide. I am glad to know Hibiscus project will introduce the second voice to Chinese reader.

A direct communication channel between China and Africa. An exciting project.

Thanks for introducing Hibiscus to me.