AP News, January 24th, 2007
President Hu Jintao will seek to boost trade and highlight Beijing's aid initiatives during his trip to Africa, an official said Wednesday, brushing aside accusations that China is overlooking human rights abuses to gain access to Africa's resources.
Africa has become an important source of oil and other natural resources to feed China's rapid economic growth. But flourishing trade ties have also caused fresh disputes. African workers have protested what they see as ill-treatment and poor pay by Chinese companies, as well as the flood of Chinese workers who take away their jobs.
South Africa, a staunch friend of Beijing, has complained that influxes of cheap Chinese clothes could devastate the textile industry.
Hu's trip to Cameroon, Liberia, Sudan, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and Seychelles begins Jan. 30 and runs until Feb. 10.
Assistant Foreign Minister Zhai Jun said Hu aims to "strengthen, consolidate and grow the traditional friendship between China and Africa."
His main focus will be on trade ties as well as "assistance, investment and helping African countries to alleviate poverty, to relieve their debt," Zhai said.
The trip will be Hu's third to Africa. He visited three African countries in 2004 and another three last April.
In Zambia, a decades-old political ally, China became an issue in the September presidential election, with the opposition candidate questioning the benefit from Chinese investment. In July, scores of African workers at a Chinese-owned Zambian mine rioted over low wages.
Zhai called the unrest a "normal business dispute that could happen anywhere," and said the government was encouraging businesses who operate in Africa to be more sensitive to local customs and laws. He said some were still inexperienced when it came to doing business abroad.
Critics also say China is treating Africa like a colony and supporting regimes with poor human rights records. They also say China will receive most of the economic benefits from expanded ties.
Zhai said China was being unfairly criticized for its energy deals with Africa, which are "based on mutual benefit."
"Some believe by taking resources and energy from Africa, China is looting Africa," Zhai said. "But if this were so, then African countries would express their dissatisfaction."
Instead, he said, African countries were eager to expand their cooperation with China. He said China was also balancing trade with aid by helping build bridges, rural schools, hospitals and malaria control centers in Africa.
The visit will also be closely watched to see whether Hu increases pressure on Sudan to resolve the Darfur conflict, which has claimed at least 180,000 lives and forced more than 2 million people from their homes over the past three years.
China, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and one of Sudan's biggest customers for oil, has resisted U.N. attempts to force the Sudanese government to accept U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur.
Zhai said Hu would discuss the Darfur issue in talks with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
"This visit (to Sudan) will not only boost our bilateral ties but also promote peace and stability in this region," Zhai said, although he gave no specifics.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday reached out to China to help persuade Sudan to accept U.N. peacekeepers during a meeting with Chinese U.N. Ambassador Wang Guangya.
Zhai reiterated China's opposition to sanctions against Sudan and said peacekeepers should only be deployed with the consent of the Sudanese government.
