China objects to Obama jab over African ties
August 7, 2014, 6:27 am

Senegalese and Chinese workers at a construction site in Dakar [Getty Images]

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Wednesday the US needs to reconsider its attitude to Chinese investment in Africa. Obama had on Wednesday claimed the US would be a better partner for Africa than China.

“We hope the United States, the largest developed country in the world, can play a greater role in supporting the development of African nations,” Hua said, urging Washington to be “objective” and “rational” about China’s engagement with Africa.

Obama argued during the US-Africa Leaders Summit that his administration is not simply seeking to extract resources for its own purposes.

“We don’t look to Africa simply for its natural resources. We recognise Africa for its greatest resource, which is its people and its talents and its potential. We don’t simply want to extract minerals from the ground for our growth,” Obama told African leaders and heads of state in Washington.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry official, however, refuted the allegations against Beijing saying China has a “stable history of cooperation with Africa”. As a developing country, China has provided assistance to Africa within its capacity and cooperated on a mutually beneficial basis with African countries, she said.

China’s investment has played a positive role in Africa in improving social and economic development, according to the spokeswoman.

“China’s African policy has always featured sincerity, friendship, equal treatment, mutual benefit and common development,” Hua said. “This is the fundamental reason why China-Africa cooperation is welcomed by African countries and people.”

China overtook the United States as Africa’s biggest trade partner in 2009.

China has built roads, railways, stadiums and pipelines in the continent even as it gained access to Africa’s oil and minerals.

Historically, Sino-African ties have also been strengthened by the fact that Beijing backed African liberation movements fighting to throw off Western colonial rule.

During his Africa trip earlier this year, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang unveiled extra aid for Africa totaling $12 billion.

This amount was in addition to the offer of $20 billion in loans to Africa between 2013 and 2015, made by Chinese President Xi Jinping in March 2013.

 TBP and Agencies