Chinese cooperation with Africa in health infrastructure in the context of Coronavirus Crisis. BRI's new emerging priority? (original) (raw)
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China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies
China has made remarkable contributions to Africa’s health development through building public health facilities and systems, building basic medical service capacity, and improving human resources for medical services. Despite these achievements, China still faces challenges in improving project effectiveness, increasing local engagement, expanding the scope of health cooperation, and enhancing interaction with the larger international aid community. Besides, the differences in culture, communication style, history, and institution limit China and Africa on “soft” issues, as does the absence of a coherent and coordinated approach among Chinese stakeholders in health cooperation. One solution is to increase multilateral engagement in China–Africa health cooperation. Compared with other countries, China’s engagement in Africa’s health development is primarily bilateral, and its roles in the structure, management, and decision-making of the health-related multilateral organizations are...
China’s engagement with development assistance for health in Africa
Global Health Research and Policy, 2017
Background: As an emerging donor in health related development across the world, particularly towards Africa, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has been increasing its influence within the field of global public health over the past few decades. Yet between the period of 2000 and 2013, little is known about the scope, scale and priority of China's grant-making programs. Methods: Based on data sourced from the China Aid Database (version-1.2), descriptive analyses were applied to analyze the features of 531 health related projects that were undertaken between 2000 and 2013. Spearmen correlation was also performed to assess the relationship between China's export and aid to recipient countries. Results: The total value of China's grant-making programs in the health related sector between 2000 and 2013 was 5.67 billion USD, with 531 projects undertaken. During the five year period between 2004 and 2008, China had a contribution of 1.54 billion USD, which increased to 3.8 billion USD during the five year period between 2009 and 2013an 146.26% increase. In terms of specific diseases, China is most concerned with building an African public health system through donations targeted towards general health (313 projects), combating Malaria (115 projects) and maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH), (12 projects). When it comes to recipient countries, if counted in total value, Zimbabwe received the most financial assistance from China, totaling 1.08 billion USD and 19 projects, while Angola and Tanzania received more projects-30 and 29 projects respectively. In terms of the channeling of aid funding, most projects were targeted towards infrastructure, equipment and medicine (304 projects in total), followed by medical teams (189 projects). Moreover, there is a statistically significant relationship between aid to Africa and Chinese exports to Africa. Conclusion: During the past decade, Chinese aid projects played an important role in the African public health system through providing funding for infrastructure, equipment and medicine, training health professionals, as well as disease treatment. However, very limited attention was paid towards disease prevention, health promotion and awareness initiatives, and health education. Furthermore, serious questions were raised regarding the long-term financial sustainability and actual impact these projects have on health development.
China's African Infrastructure Projects: A Tool in Reshaping Global Norms
The resilience of China's investments in African infrastructure has been called into question in the light of its own economic slowdown. The substantial reduction in Chinese demand for African commodities has resulted in a significant drop in commodity prices, causing an adverse economic outlook in many commodity-dependent African economies and potentially decoupling the African growth story from China's influence and economic engagement. This policy insights paper argues that China's infrastructure-based economic statecraft in Africa has shown and will continue to show resilience in the face of new economic realities in the China–Africa relationship, as these projects fit into China's broader goals of reshaping global norms.
Africa's Poor Infrastructure; A Stepping Stone for China's Engagement in East Africa
Most African countries have poor levels of infrastructure development which directly impacts on the economic growth. In response to this deficiency, African governments have sought to engage various stakeholders in the development of infrastructure. China is not left out and its role in Africa has currently sparked attention both locally and internationally. One of the most controversial actions by China is the increased interest free loans to African governments which raise eyebrows begging to question whether this is an addition to having unsustainable debt. This research studied and established the extent to which China’s involvement in East Africa is linked to its poor infrastructure development within the wider background of foreign aid focusing on three countries which include Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The choice of the three countries was based on them being the first original member States of the East African Community (EAC) and thus provided substantial data in the study. The study establishes the concept framework of Economic Diplomacy where the advocacy would be to have ‘Infrastructure Diplomacy’ be a new-fangled field, dissected entirely from the economic spectrum. It is a concept that is timely for Africa’s advancement in terms of regional and sub-regional integration locally and globally.
The China-Africa summit on COVID-19: Geopolitical and economic considerations
ECDPM Talking Point, 2020
While the EU weeps over the slow progress in the preparation of the EU-Africa Summit in October – partly slowed down by the COVID-19 pandemic – China and African leaders held an ‘Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against COVID-19’ last week. Thirteen African leaders took part in this virtual event, including South Africa’s President and African Union Chairperson, Cyril Ramaphosa, and Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chair of the African Union Commission. The Summit focused on addressing the health and economic impact of COVID-19 through the China-Africa partnership. Nothing groundbreaking was announced on these two topics. Yet it is noteworthy that the leaders at the Summit laid out political alignments between China and Africa, with reciprocal support and commitment, and sent implicit geopolitical messages to outside listeners, namely the US. https://ecdpm.org/talking-points/china-africa-summit-covid-19-geopolitical-economic-considerations/
Reimagining China's investments in Africa's transportation
Transportation Research Record, 2021
Africa has not invested enough in its healthcare system, and China has been investing in and financing much of Africa’s transportation system. Many African countries’ fragile health and transportation systems have been further weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic. This literature review confirms the interdependence of the key functional areas of comprehensive development planning and the importance of building and maintaining a sound transportation infrastructure. With respect to partnerships with China, African nations need to strengthen government functional areas more comprehensively, considering all of the areas of development planning including trade as well as transportation and aid issues. It is all the more apparent given the COVID-19 pandemic that these trade deals need to include simultaneous heavy investments in healthcare, education, housing, public utilities (water and electricity), and economic development through improved supply chain management and the use of advanced digital technology. In addition to the deal structures for China’s investments in Africa’s transportation infrastructure, there are also opportunities to reimagine the African nations’ internal transportation spending. For example, there are models in the United States for using transportation funds to invest in health clinics in transit stations. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought this issue to bear, and it is a problem that can be rectified with ‘‘comprehensive’’ development planning that takes into account all of the key functional areas of planning: healthcare, environmental protection, safety, education, housing, economic development, and transportation. Five recommendations follow the literature review and discussion.
Journal of Development and Social Sciences, 2024
This study analyzes the diverse and burgeoning relationship between China and the African Union (AU) which has significant global implications. The primary focus of the study is to explore Chinese policy commitments, competitive dynamics, capacity-building plug-ins as well as measures taken for the development of infrastructure under Priority Action Plan 2 (PAP 2) which is a landmark initiative of Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) to develop hydroelectric power, railways, roads, ports and information and communications technology (ICT) sectors. Furthermore, the study reviews the interconnection between the AU's African Integrated High-Speed Railway Network (AIHSRN) Project as a case-study of China's endeavors for the development of railways within the AU member countries. This assessment propounds an understanding of the importance of infrastructure and logistics to form collaborations, boost connectivity, and promote African economic development. The study uses a qualitative method of reasoning to investigate the basis and impact of Chinese interest and involvement within the AU. It provides the relevant researchers, experts from academia and policy makers a deep insight into the true nature of Chinese engagement within the AU which makes this study a significant addition to the currently existing literature about China-AU economic relations.
African-Asian Relations: Past, Present, Future Edited by Patrick Ziltener and Christian Suter, 2022
One of the most visible signs of Chinese presence in Africa those last decades is in the infrastructure field with the so-called “resources for infrastructure”swap. China back to Africa consists in financing and building infrastructures in different sectors (transportation, building, electrification, water and sanitation). This chapter aims to evaluate Chinese financed and built infrastructures in terms of their raison d’être and their significations within Central African countries of Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo. Based on observations, interviews of experts and literatureon Chinese infrastructures, we review purposes, qualities and significations of those infrastructures in Central African countries. Findings reveal that Chinese infrastructure development in Central African countries is based on economic diplomacy in which China has more interests than African countries. Also, Chinese resources for infrastructures swap deals are used as tools and symbols of state power than as real tools of local development promotion. These practices resulted in poor quality and non-resilient infrastructure projects within the area with the threat of white elephant remake in Africa.
China's provincial diplomacy to Africa: applications to health cooperation
Contemporary Politics, 2014
There is a prevailing view of China as a unitary actor in its relationships with African countries. This view is incomplete: on the contrary, China is a collection of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities with myriad strategic ties to African countries, with decentralization shaping the current form of Chinese government and its level of efficiency. In this paper, factors have been explored for why Chinese provinces have played a role in foreign cooperation in health of African countries, in addition to trade and foreign direct investment. Incentives and disincentives for Chinese provinces to engage internationally in foreign cooperation and health assistance have been identified. The concept of paradiplomacy for health has been presented and this typology has been applied to the example of Chinese medical teams. Finally, we draw linkages between China and other members of Brazil,
South African Journal of International Affairs, 2013
This paper discusses China’s use of infrastructure-for-resources loans in Africa as a winwin economic cooperation tool. This formula, offering generous loans for infrastructure in exchange for resource access, came into being largely as a default cooperation tool, inspired by China’s own domestic experience, its competitive advantages and Africa’s receptivity to this kind of barter deal. Embodying the principle of mutual benefit, China has consistently combined the extension of financial assistance for infrastructure construction in Africa with the expansion of Chinese business interests and the pursuit of resource security goals. The analysis focuses on whether this instrument is actually promoting African development or fuelling instead China’s economic growth at the expense of African economies. The author argues that the impact has been mixed. Although there are some meaningful positive signs, many challenges persist, and as such the long-term developmental impact of this particular tool remains uncertain. The responsibility to ensure a positive outcome rests, however, on the African side as much as on China.