Tillerson hammered over policy criticism

IN A NO-HOLDS-barred and strongly-worded rebuke, China’s ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian, on Monday took strong exception to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s criticism of China’s African policy.

Tillerson was abruptly axed by President Trump yesterday.

He said the US wanted to create the impression that China was aiding and abetting corruption and looting the resources of the continent, whereas it was the US that feared losing its grip and influence in Africa.

The row between the US and China reached new levels after Tillerson, during his maiden African trip last week, said Chinese investment in the continent does not have the potential to address infrastructure challenges and was not creating any jobs in most countries, adding that it endangered Africa’s natural resources and its long-term economic and political stability.

Addressing the media in Johannesburg, Songtian said the US was “smearing” China’s development in Africa and was expressing worry over China’s growing influence in Africa with their own “ulterior motives”, adding that Tillerson did not come to Africa with the aim of helping African countries.

Songtian said China had become more and more popular in Africa, not by giving lectures but by taking a series of concrete actions to help the continent realise durable peace and self-sustainable development.

China has for the past nine consecutive years remained Africa’s largest trade partner and the country is aggressively investing in infrastructure, manufacturing and telecommunications in the continent.

Songtian said the US was making an excuse for itself by accusing China of creating a debt crisis in Africa while it was not prepared to contribute enough capital to help Africa build its infrastructure.

Songtian said China was a newcomer in Africa and could not be accused of looting the resources and exploiting people, saying that Western countries, except for China, have long been doing as they like with African resources because they were not investing anything in African development. He said the amounts taken in taxpayers’ money by Western governments far exceeded China’s, yet they had no visible projects to show in Africa.

“China is a newcomer in Africa. Africa’s oil and mineral resources have long been explored and exploited, controlled and monopolised by Western countries,” he said.

Songtian said that Chinese businesses in Africa adhered to President Xi Jinping’s pledge to maintain relations based on principles of sincerity. – ANA