People’s Friendship as an Instrument of Chinese Foreign Policy Towards Africa
Chinese foreign policy towards Africa as at today can be likened to France’s policy towards Nigeria in the period immediately following Nigeria’s independence. By then, Franco-Nigerian ties were difficult essentially because of the French atomic tests in the Reggane area of the Sahara desert to which Nigeria was vehemently opposed. However, France never allowed her political disagreement with Nigeria to undermine her economic interests in Nigeria, hence she adopted a policy of maintaining a dichotomy in which political and economic relationships were allowed to develop together regardless of the differences of the two countries.
In this regard, policymakers argued that Nigeria’s potential to become a great country in the future, especially in light of her big population and material resources was a major to always reckon with in relating with Nigeria. In fact, by then, Nigeria told the world that she did not want to be addressed as ‘La Nigéria but ‘Le Nigéria’, in order to simply show that Nigeria had come of age. Put differently, the Tafawa Balewa administration did not want to be likened to a woman but to a strong man. Thus, the attitudinal disposition of France was therefore to learn how to manage Nigeria’s new nationalism and how to continue to hope for better days and understanding to come.
The Chinese policy attitude towards Africa is not essentially different in terms of better days to come. The Chinese believe that Africa has a bright future, especially if its leaders are assisted and able to harness the continent’s human and material resources well, as well as able to sustain an environment of peace and security, considered a sine qua non for economic growth and development.
In this regard, maintenance of peace and security is given special emphasis in Chinese foreign policy to the extent that the quest for peace is sought at the level of promotion of people-to-people relations as an instrument for the attainment of Chinese national interest in international relations. As noted by the Chinese Consul General to Nigeria, Liu Kan, in a statement following the conclusion of the CPC 19th Congress, ‘China remains firm in its commitment to strengthening friendship and cooperation with other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence (mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; mutual non-aggression; mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs; equality and mutual benefit; and peaceful coexistence.’
Perhaps, more noteworthy, is the Consul General’s reaffirmation of the readiness of China to forge ‘a new form of international relations, featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation.’ And to a great extent, there can be no disputing the fact that the foundations of a new form of international relations are already being laid, with the increasing emphases being placed by the Chinese government on the formation of Chinese friendship associations and the promotion of their ties with various peoples of the world. It is within this context that academics, politicians, and other professionals have always been invited to visit various parts of China, not only by the Chinese government but particularly by various Chinese Friendship Associations.
Last week, the Bolytag Centre for International Diplomacy and Strategic Studies (BOCIDASS) visited the Yunnan Province on the kind invitation of the Chinese Consulate General in Lagos, from Friday, 10th to Friday, 17th November, 2017, days of travel inclusive. Yunnan Province is one of the six provinces into which the People’s Republic of China was divided: Guangzhou, Yunnan, Fujian, Xizang, Neimeng and Hebei, province.
What is particularly noteworthy about these people’s visit is that guests are often taken to areas where the Chinese are making serious development impacts. For instance, it seems that the Chinese Consulate General in Lagos is interested in showing case development feats in China following the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China, and particularly to justify the re-election of President Xi Jinping.
Perhaps, most interestingly, when international observers criticise China for whatever reasons, the Chinese often respond by simply organising visits of independent observers to go on tour of the relevant areas or to discuss the issues, or simply extend invitation to people to come to participate in seminars or group discussions on the issues in China. And true enough again, the Chinese, from time to time, invite foreigners to come and see the height of their development efforts. The Chinese simply make you see and then leave whatever opinion you may wish to have for you. This is the policy of ‘seeing is believing!’
The BOCIDASS delegation, which included Dr. Tunde Emmanuel, ICT and Electrical Engineer and Mrs. Toyin Jaiyeola, Director of the International Christian Business School, visited Kunming, Dali Old City, Lijiang, all in the Yunnan Province. Kunming, which has the fifth biggest single terminal airport in China, was the first official port of call. Five years ago, the environmental location of the Kunming airport was nothing to write home about. It was a local village à la Nigeriana. The airport area has not only been turned into a modern city, it also boasts of 1000 domestic and international flights daily.
Kunming has a population of 7.2 million people, out of which, for every 205 people, there are 105.7 men and 100.0 women. Their lifespan is 76 years. It supplies 70% of flowers in China. It is the second largest auction centre for flowers and exporting flowers to 46 countries. Kunming is also not the only biggest centre for the manufacture of cigarettes in Asia, it also plays host to the most expensive cigarette in China. Ten packs of cigarettes, 16 cigarettes in each pack, cost N28,000. Additionally, Kunming has the 6th largest fresh water lake in China, as well as the tallest building, with 308 metres (67 storey building), called the Twin towers with helipad facilities on top.
Perhaps, most interestingly, Cheng Lianyuan, the Party Committee Standing Member of Yunnan and the Party Committee Secretary of Kunming, has described Kunming as ‘the spring floral city of the world, the historical and cultural city, the open portal of the South West, the international tourism city, the vibrant city of China. Kunming is quickening its paces to be an international metropolitan and a regional centre.’
The essence of the foregoing is to suggest that villages are turned into cities with ease but much of patriotic zeal and one major dynamic that is hardly talked about in developing countries is Chinese self-imposed educational discipline, the illustration of which was clearly demonstrated at the Yunnan University, another institution being show-cased.
At the Yunnan University, it is on record that, under the Sui and Qing dynasties, opportunity was given to everyone to become great and whatever he or she wanted to be, especially in terms of being a leader in the society. In this regard, however, one must write an examination for the purposes of political leadership in China. What is quite interesting about the examination is that it is in three areas. Each examination lasts for three days, meaning that, for the three examinations, nine days were required. The students sleep in the examination room. They must eat in the examination room.
In fact, during the period of nine days, no student writing the examination was allowed to go out of the room at all, except to go out very briefly to ease himself or herself, but again, under security guard surveillance. The examination was for both the young and the old. This means that since a long time ago, examination cheating had been taken seriously and contained. This is one objective way of appreciating Chinese development: imposition of self-discipline, self-reliance, and self-dignity.
Also at the Yunnan University, an open and comprehensive place with century-old trees adorning the various lawns and roads, the BOCIDASS delegation met with the faculty and post-graduate students of the Yunnan University Centre of African Studies. The Director of the Centre, Professor Zhang Yonghong, who had not only worked at the University of Jos, Nigeria on exchange programme basis, but who also doubles as the Executive Director of the Research Center for China-South Africa People-toPeople Exchanges at Yunnan University, underscored the three main foci of his centre.
The first is to work as a think tank for China-Africa Cooperation, meaning that the centre is playing a complementary role to the efforts of the Government of China. This also explains why the centre can apply for government funding of its research programmes and why the centre can also establish cooperation partnership programmes with several African institutions. Within the various partnership programmes, researchers are allowed to carry out their research as they determine and approved within the framework of the national interest.
Professor Zhang Yonghong also made the point that, as China is part of the developing world, there is the need to focus greater attention on technology development, especially in terms of development of indigenous knowledge and resources.
The journey from Kunming to Dali City was by air. It took about three and a half hours. Dali, as a word means marble or great administration. Who says Dali is also implying the terra cognita of marble and great administration. Marble is in abundance. Dali is also famous for minority groups, thirteen in number. There are six tribes and the Bai is the main ethnic group with more than one million people. The total population of Dali is three million while its territorial size is 29,000 sq. km.
What is particularly noteworthy about Dali City is its Mount Cangsham Mountain Global Geopark, located in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture. The Geopark, which has an altitudinal range of 4122-2100 metres above sea level and ‘located in a climate transitional zone and characterised by vertical climate and vegetation zones,’ has the ultimate goal of protecting ‘geological heritage and promoting socio-economic development, in this sense, the Cangshan Geopark is an excellent example of how geological relics combine with local culture to promote geological heritage protection and faster local economic and social development.’
The journey from Dali to Lijiang was by road and the road was macadamised and free of potholes. Travelling by road enabled a better understanding of Chinese conception of a village and its lifestyle. All the various villages on the way have basic amenities, including good road infrastructure. The many tourist centres of attraction, all of which clearly show that China cannot be rightly considered as a Third World country, necessarily require recategorisation. A special world may have to be specially articulated to which China may belong.
The BOCIDASS delegation visited the Black Dragon Pool in Liajiang, the Bai Shai Old Town, the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Watch Lijiang Impression Show, where 500 artists perform and ‘acted by soul, where a banquet is watched by heart, and where a dream is made in the day time,’ the Spruci Meadow, Blue Moon Valley, and the Mu’s family Embroidery School in Bai Shai Village.
All these tourist centres actually reflect centuries of civilisation and technological development. They show how a people can preserve their past, while also opening their doors widely to other cultures. More important, the various places visited in different communities also show even development, and clearly suggest an increasing progress in poverty reduction. They raise questions on Africa’s developmental attitude compared with that of the Chinese. Can Nigeria or Africa learn from the experiences of other countries, like China?
People-to-people relationship is not simply a potent soft power but a quiet and alternative method of addressing issues that official diplomacy might have failed in solving. There are several foreign policy stakeholders that can be engaged to undertake the preliminary discussions. The BOCIDASS has already provided for a people-to-people platform for discussions on foreign policy questions. There is the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria (ARCAN), which could be appropriately required to drive the relationship at the official level