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CHINA'S POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC INTERESTS IN THE CONTINENT OF AFRICA
d https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7336619
Muhammadolim Muhammadsidiqov
Doctor of political sciences, professor, head of the department of "International relations and Social Sciences" at International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan
Аннотация: мазкур мацолада сунгги ун йилликларда чегарадош давлатлар билан халцаро муносабатларда Хитой сезиларли натижаларга эришиб, цушн давлатларнинг купчилиги билан %амкорлик ва стратегик шерикчилик муносабатлари урнатгани %амда Хитой тарацциётига салмоцли %исса цушиши мукин булган "Бир макон, бир йул" ташаббуси халцаро мицёсда кенг му%окама этилаётгани, ушбу ташаббус ёки геосиёсий гиперлойща цуруцликдаги цисмининг цоц юрагида жойлашган Марказий Осиё мамлакатлари, жумладан, Узбекистон Республикаси %ам ана шу лойща доирасида билдираётган муносабатларини очицлаб беради.
Шунингдек, мазкур мацолада Хитой ташци сиёсати концепцияси %алцаро муносабатларнинг барча масалалари буйича Хитойнинг тулиц мустациллик ва эркинлик асосида иш куриши, %арбий куч ва гегемонияга царши туриши, блокларга цушилмаслиги, шуниндек, супердержавалар билан стратегик алоцалар урнатишдан сацланиши каби фундаментал ёндашувларга асосланганлиги %ам баён этади.
Калит сузлар: Хитой, "Бир макон, бир йул", Марказий Осиё мамлакатлари, Хитой ташци сиёсати концепцияси.
By the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, the role of the African continent is increasing in the rapidly developing globalization processes around the world. First, Africa has a large amount of hydrocarbon and hydropower resources. Secondly, this area serves as a kind of bridge connecting the Mediterranean, EU and the Arab world.
Over the past 50 years, the foreign policy of the PRC has taken the path from a "one-vector" oriented towards the former USSR to the "open door policy" in relation to the leading countries in the world.
The political and economic reforms carried out in the PRC were aimed at re-developing the system of economic relations, and not at the complete dumping of socialist ideas, as in other states, after the Soviet Union was in disarray. It should be noted that among the leadership of the PRC there are those who believe that these reforms can negatively affect the socialist ideology.
It is known that the PRC government in 2005 expressed an increase in the amount of military spending by 12.6 percent (about 30 billion US dollars). The press representative of the government, Jiang Anju, said that additional costs will help pay off the months, conduct military training and provide the army with modern weapons. The proposal to increase military spending was submitted for approval to the parliamentary session.
The economy of the PRC is also growing regularly. Its total foreign exchange reserve was $ 51.6 billion in 1995, while it exceeded $ 150 billion in 1999. The main trading partners of the PRC are the USA, Europe and Asian countries. In 2008, the total cost of products imported to China was $ 550 billion.
Although the PRC is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, but it is among the developing countries. Therefore, he naturally seeks, first of all, to invest, and not to withdraw. Many joint ventures have been established or close cooperation has been established in the country with the world's leading firms and companies. Advanced technologies from abroad are involved in almost all sectors of the national economy. The PRC is notable not only for its 1.25 billion inhabitants but also for its powerful economic potential. In subsequent years, economic growth in the country is 8-10 percent per year. About 20-22% of investments in the world are being made in the PRC.
The object of interest of Chinese companies on the African continent is, first of all, energy resources. H Part of the energy resources imported into China falls in Africa (Angola, Algeria, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Sudan, and Libya). China took Japan's place as an importer of African Oil, second only to the United States. China's first partner in this area has been a Sudanese country since 1997. When the United States broke off relations with this country, China filled the gap formed. Currently, 50-60 percent of Sudanese oil is exported to China. China has allocated more than $ 8 billion of investments to this state in order to jointly exploit oil resources in Sudan, build pipelines at a distance from oil reserves in the south of the country to the Red Sea, and adapt terminals in the Port of Sudan to accept tankers. About 10,000 Chinese workers are working in Sudan. Also, Chinese companies are actively involved in the exploitation of oil reserves in other African countries (Chad, Libya, Gabon, Nigeria).
But China is not only interested in energy resources in Africa. Perhaps he is also strengthening his position in the forest industry of Liberia, Guinea, Cameroon and Central Africa.
After a conference in Bandung (Indonesia)with the participation of 29 countries in Asia and Africa, that is, from April 1955, modern relations between China and African countries began to grow even more. For the first time in its holding, Prime Minister Zhou Enlai met with the leaders of a number of African countries (Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Sudan, Liberia and Ghana). After the conference, China activated relations aimed at interaction with continental countries, establishing diplomatic relations with Egypt as early as may 1956, and later with Algeria, Morocco, Sudan and Guinea.1
The development of relations between China and continental countries in later times was hampered by the complex international situation that arose, as well as the beginning of the "Cultural Revolution"(1966-1976). In addition, China was in a state of conflict with Western countries. Due to these factors, China was unable to establish relations with the rough countries in Africa. At this time, his relations with the USSR also deteriorated significantly.
In the early 60s of the last century, two significant events occurred that activated the relationship between China and Africa. From late 1963 - early 1964, Zhou Enlai visited 10 countries in Africa. These visits provided a fertile ground for the further development of political relations between China and countries on the continent. It was formed according to the following five principles:
- Support for the ongoing struggles against imperialists, colonizers and new colonizers towards the acquisition and strengthening of national independence by all peoples in African states;
- Support for peace, neutrality and non-attachment policies of African states;
- Support for the actions of African countries themselves to seek solidarity and commonality with the help of selected means, as well as to regulate disagreements through peace negotiations;
- demand from other countries to comply with the sovereignty of states in Africa;
- fight against aggression and various forms of external intervention.2
1 Tatarintsev V.M. Africa in the modern world. -M.: 2003. -pp.243-244.
2 Muhammadsiqov M.M. The role of the "African Francophone" States in French foreign policy // Oriental Studies. - T., 2007. - № 1. -p.52.
The recognition of the PRC by France in 1964 is another significant event in this regard. As a result, in the 60s of the last century, China established diplomatic relations with 14 French-speaking countries on the continent.
Although in the 70s of the last century China began to get closer and closer to Western countries, in practice it remained a staunch supporter of the fight against colonialism. This allowed him to achieve the goodwill of African countries that were within the interests of the USSR.
The adoption of the UN resolution of October 25, 1971, on the restoration of the legal rights of the PRC instead of Taiwan to permanent membership in the UN risk-free Council No. 2758 is an important positive factor that significantly strengthened the PRC's influence in the world. By the 70s of the last century, China again established diplomatic relations with 25 countries in Africa. As a result, the total number of countries in Africa that established diplomatic relations with China reached 44.3
By the end of the 80s of the last century, relations between China and Ethiopia, Somalia, Angola, Mozambique and Madagascar had significantly improved. And cooperation with Tanzania, Zambia, Gabon, Benin, Mali, Ghana and Guinea was significantly strengthened.
In the 90s, characterized as a period of major geopolitical changes in the world, China sharply activated the African course in its foreign policy. High-level and high-level visits to Africa intensified, and in July 1992, during the visit of Chinese President Ian Shankun, the following new principles were laid down, which determined the relationship between the PRC and continental countries: support for aspirations to maintain state sovereignty and independence in the fight against external interference and for economic growth; respect for the political system and the path of development chosen in accordance with national specifics; support for actions aimed at establishing a new economic and political system in the world with equal participation in international relations; High assessment of the actions adopted by the ABT in order to promote friendly relations and economic cooperation with countries, as well as support for stability In 1995, a meeting of the PRC ambassadors to African countries was held in order to revise the priorities of Economic Cooperation.4
After the declaration of independence, in the 90s of the last century, Namibia and Eritrea, and later, JAR, established diplomatic relations with China. Relations between China and Mar and Guinea-Bissau began anew. However, China's position on the Taiwan problem was terminated by relations with six countries (Burkina Faso, Gambia, Senegal, Sao Tomé and Príncipe, Chad and Liberia). In 2003, relations with Liberia resumed. In the late 1990s, China carried out diplomatic relations with 45 of the 53 countries in Africa.
While China was helping Africa, it did not advance the introduction of specific new conditions in return. This, in turn, caused the growing decline in the position of the PRC in Africa. As PRC Foreign Minister Quan Quchen noted in his speech at the University of Namibia in 1992, "only Africans know the tightness in their country. Only they have the right to choose their own path of progress and are able to do so. China respects the choice of social systems and models of development in accordance with the situation that has arisen in their country." Also, in 1996, the former head of the PRC, Jiang Zemin, and in early 2004, the head of the PRC, Hu Jintao, emphasized this in their speeches.
The only requirement imposed by the PRC in exchange for assistance to African countries is the recognition of the tendency to "Chinese integrity". However, Taiwan has long managed to keep a number of countries in Africa within its influence at the expense of effective "credit diplomacy" in the field of Medicine. As China's economy grew more and more, the scale of its assistance to countries in Africa also increased. A major role in this was also played by the transformation of the PRC into a permanent member of the UN Security Council. As a result, many countries on the continent turned away from Taiwan. Due to a large number of coups, the desire to take advantage of disagreements between China and Taiwan, the
3 Mammadzadeh P.N. On the results of the 10th Conference of the International Organization of la Francophonie. -Moscow: IIBV, 2007. -p.67.
4 Nartov N.A., Nartov V.N. Geopolitics. -M.: UNITY-DANA: Unity, 2007. -p.527.
relationship of many countries in Africa to the China-Taiwan issue has often changed. For example, since 1962, Mar changed his mind five times every time he received dividends from China.
On January 12, 2008, the Chinese government announced a program in which African directions of its foreign policy were outlined. This program consists of the following 6 sections: "the state and place of Africa", "China-Africa relations", "China's African policy", "expanding comprehensive cooperation between China and Africa", "China-Africa Cooperation forum and its upcoming activities", "relations between the PRC and African territorial organizations". In accordance with this document, China's policy on the African continent is based on the following principles:
- mutually beneficial and promising cooperation covering trade, economic, social and other sectors;
- Mutual support through the UN and other international organizations;
- cooperation in Science, Education, Culture and health.
The volume of foreign trade carried out between China and the countries of Africa is developing in a fierce way. In 2008, this figure exceeded $ 18 billion. In this case, the main part of the turnover will have to supply oil from the countries of Sudan, Congo and Angola. Nigeria, which imports consumer goods from China, and the turnover between JAR and PRC is also extremely large. The share of Chinese products in imports from The Gambia and Togo countries is 40 percent. According to the French Embassy in Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire), the share of the PRC in imports of West African countries is close to 11%, which puts China in second place after France. Also, in many countries of the continent, the PRC ranks second after Africa's traditional economic partners, such as Germany, Japan and the United States.5
Currently, the volume of trade between the PRC and countries in Africa is increasing, with an annual growth rate often even more than 100%. Chinese products are mainly distributed through retail channels. Only 2% of China's foreign trade falls on Africa, and about 5% of countries ' foreign trade in Africa falls on China6. An important role in this was played by the Chinese initiative, which was announced in December 2008 at the second Forum on China-African cooperation, "that goods can enter the Chinese market from relatively less developed countries in Africa without tariffs." This, in turn, is a worthy response from the PRC to the US-owned AGOA and the European initiative "everything except weapons". According to the minister of trade of the PRC Lu Fuyuan, the task of the PRC is to increase the volume of trade with African countries to 30 billion US dollars in the next three years7. However, Chinese companies are not satisfied with the export of their products to the continent and are transferring part of the production at their disposal More Here. Africa is the third-largest region in terms of attracting Chinese investment, after Asia and North America. Among the 30 countries where the most Chinese investments are being directed, Zambia(total value is 134.4 million. 18 projects worth dollars) 10th place, JAR (total value 119.3 million. 98 projects with dollars) 13th place, Mali (total value of 58.1 million dollars. 5 projects worth the dollar) 20th place, Egypt (total volume 48.5 million. 27 projects worth the dollar) ranked 24th, Nigeria(total value 44.3 million. 29 projects worth dollars) ranked 27th, Tanzania(total value 41.3 million. 19 projects equal to the dollar) take 28th place. Africa is the most suitable region for a third of the Chinese enterprises operating abroad. More than 600 Chinese enterprises are investing their investments in African countries, while the accumulated volume of investments is $ 1.2 billion (in 2008). For a number of countries in Africa, the PRC has become the second or even the first major foreign investor. An example of this is Sudan, which exports more than $
5 Vasiliev A.M. Russia and Africa in the short and medium term (The material was compiled at the Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the basis of the recommendations of the "round table" held on 28.2.2006
6 Runov B.B. Africa Development Strategy: a new look at the role of knowledge and information resources / Ed. Abramova I.O. -M., 2003. -p.68.
7 Muhammadsiqov M.M. The role of the PRC in geopolitical processes in Africa in the context of globalization // Chinese Studies in Uzbekistan: history, present and future. collection of materials of the traditional scientific and practical conference. - T.: Tashdshi, 2012. - p.196.
1 billion of oil abroad each year, providing 58% of its budget revenues through investments from China National Petroleum8.
In the course of the second forum of China-Africa Cooperation, a number of investment projects were approved in the PRC on the continent, in particular in Nigeria (construction of a sugar factory by China New Era Group), Ethiopia (construction of a sugar and cement plant), Rwanda (construction of a cement plant China Machine-Building International), Uganda (construction of a cotton Basically, large state-owned companies such as SINOPEC, Petrochina, China National Petroleum are making their investments in Africa9.
China has established a number of fish farming companies in Africa. Such a company was founded in Gabon as early as 1986, while in Benin it was founded in 2006. In addition to such, Chinese enterprises for the extraction of mineral resources operate in Africa. Joint textile enterprises are being created, which gives the opportunity to export the product to a wide American market as part of the AGOA program. The PRC has reached agreements with 34 countries in Africa on mutual protection and expansion of investments, and with 14 countries on the abolition of secondary taxation.
China is the largest contractor on the continent. In later times, the PRC built or is building a number of large structures in almost every country in Africa, practicing diplomacy called Cement (Concrete). Such structures include the palace of peoples in the Federal Islamic Republic of Djibouti and the Lunar Islands, the palace of armaments in Benin, the TIV building in Djibouti, Uganda and Mozambique, the palace of Culture in Cote d'Ivoire, the National Assembly in Gabon and the Senate, the echelons in Benin, Mali, Djibouti, Mar, roads in Equatorial Guinea, airports in Mali and Algeria, the Port, In addition, China began to build a subway in Cairo. Many structures are being built on preferential loans. The financial participation of the African side in the total value of such structures is the minimum amount10.
In Africa, according to the classification of American journals, branches of the largest construction companies in China (ENR-CSCEC, SGC, SICET, COVEC and others: these companies are among the 225 best construction companies in the world) have been established. They will also participate in international tenders that will be announced for construction at the expense of external development partners.
Tourism. The number of Chinese tourists going to Africa is increasing from year to year. If earlier only three approved tourist destinations (Egypt, JAR and Morocco) officially operated in China, then in the course of the second forum on China-African cooperation, in addition to this, the following eight directions were approved: Kenya, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Mauritius Island, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Tunisia. These destinations are given tourist status, and the opening of regularly operating air routes leads to a sharp increase in the number of Chinese tourists. This is especially important for Zimbabwe, which is under international siege and hopes for an increase in the flow of tourists coming from the PRC.
Africa is significant not only for its geopolitical convenience but also for the fact that it is located in the region where the interests and goals of the leading countries meet. Currently, geopolitical processes on the continent are becoming increasingly entangled as a result of the mutual involvement of the interests of the world's leading countries in Africa.
The PRC has historically maintained trade relations with the countries of this region both through the Great Silk Road, and the process of intense foreign relations and mutual enrichment of various cultures was carried out directly through Central Asia. This favorable geographical position and natural
8 Gushchin E.V., Pavlov V.V. Currencies and currency systems of African countries. In 2 parts./ Ed. Fituni L.L. -M., 2003. -p.34. -Ch. 1 -p.229.
9 Modern international relations and world politics. - M., 2005. -p.698.
10 Gushchin E.V., Pavlov V.V. Currencies and currency systems of African countries. In 2 parts./ Ed. Fituni L.L. - M., 2003. - p.34. - Part 1 - P. 229.
resources of the continent are now also gaining the attention of distant countries, which are of great importance in the development of international relations.
The social sphere (roads, stadiums, buildings) is the main direction in which investments from the PRC are entered. Since 2004, it has been financing the construction of a stadium in the Bank of China (Egypt) and Yaunde (Cameroon), and platinum in the Congo. Nigeria, on the other hand, has announced the allocation of a preferential loan of $ 2 billion to have its own Sputnik connection and to finance construction facilities. China's reputation in Africa is growing from year to year. According to the results of surveys carried out by African experts, 70 percent of Egyptians and 52 percent of Moroccans express sympathy for China.
The next 10 years witnessed the modernization of the model of economic cooperation between China and Africa. This model was previously, mainly of an interstate nature, but now this new economic activity has also been presented to Chinese enterprises.
The establishment of the China-African Forum at the ministerial level indicates that China is striving to strengthen its economic activities in Africa. At the 1st session of the forum in Beijing in October 2000, the "Beijing Declaration" and the "program of China-African cooperation in economic and social development" were adopted.
Since 1960, 48 heads of State in Africa have visited the PRC about 200. Of these, 30 official visits were made in the 70s, 51 visits were made in the 80s, and 57 visits were made in the 90s. The current PRC chairman, Hu Jintao, arrived on the continent in 2004 and 2006. Seeing the interest of the PRC in their state, African entrepreneurs seek to cooperate with Chinese partners in a more economic sphere. Although Chinese entrepreneurs face serious competition with Western companies in Africa, but they have achieved significant success.
This document, which Western journalists called the White Book, states that China plans to absorb infrastructure, agriculture, tourism and natural resources through investment cooperation, easing the debt burden in order to increase its economic potential in exchange for internal opportunities on the continent in helping Africa. China in the field of trade is focusing on the implementation of the flow of African products to the Chinese market, limiting existing tariffs. China also plans to negotiate with African countries and territorial organizations on issues of establishing free trade zones.
