Uproar in Zambia over China’s tightening grip on economy

“China equals Hitler” says a sign held up in the Zambian capital Lusaka by a protester.

The demonstrator, James Lukuku, who leads a small political party opposed to Beijing’s tightening grip on the economy of the southern African nation, was picked up by police and spent several hours in a cell reflecting on his one-man protest.

But he is not alone in op- posing China’s growing presence in President Edgar Lungu’s Zambia and, in particular, its major programme of loans to Lusaka.

His criticism echoes concerns shared by many across swathes of Africa and beyond, where some fear that China’s megaprojects risk leaving already fragile economies in even worse shape.

“I want to bring to the attention of the international community the Chinese influence and corruption in Zambia,” Lukuku, who wore a white T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan #sayno2China, said.

China is the main investor in Zambia as it is in several other African countries and with its offers of “unconditional” aid, most public tenders are awarded to Chinese bidders.

In Lusaka and across the country, China is constructing airports, roads, factories and police stations, with the building boom largely funded by Chinese loans.

“China is about to take from Zambia.

“They have taken over our economy through these criminal debts.

“This government is contracting debts from China even without parliamentary approval,” everything Lukuku said.

Zambian public debt is officially about $10.6bn (R151.7bn) but suspicions have grown in recent months that the government is hiding its indebtedness – as happened in neighbouring Mozambique, which in 2016 was forced to admit it had kept secret $2bn of borrowing.

Fearing that Zambia might be in a similar position, the International Monetary Fund at one point delayed talks over a $1.3bn loan deal.

Stung by the criticism that he was selling out to China, Lungu has hit back at critics.

“I implore you to ignore the misleading headlines that seek to malign our relationship with China by mischaracterising our economic co-operation to mean colonialism,” Lungu said recently. –