Introduction
China's growing influence in
Africa, which is threatening America's hegemony as the globe's sole superpower,
has the potential to spread throughout the world. The proxy trade war between
China and the United States has been dubbed the "second Cold War."
The fall of the Berlin Wall and
the Soviet Union's "defeat" with the dissolution of its territories
as separate countries have bolstered America's status as the world's unipolar
power.
During the Cold War, the two
superpowers put their strength to the test by fighting a proxy war against one
other on foreign soil. For example, the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, the
Algerian War, the Congo Crisis, the Suez Crisis (Egypt), the South African
Border War, the Mozambican War of Independence and 1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border.
As a consequence, to comprehend
the current situation, Samuel P. Huntington's "Clash of
Civilizations" theory, which has formed the foundation for US foreign
policy, is used.
He claimed that after the
conflict of ideologies is over, eastern civilizations pose a danger to the
West's dominance. As a result, he stressed the importance of counterbalancing
the West's predominance in world affairs with Islamic-Sinic civilizations.
Foreign Aid and Loans
Africa is one of the most
important recipients of US foreign aid. US foreign aid (about 20% of US aid
goes to Africa) was substantially reduced during the Trump administration. This
has provided China with an opportunity to expand its influence in Africa
through infrastructure loans and other sorts of assistance.
Furthermore, just a few days
earlier, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson proposed a 0.2 percent cut in foreign
aid, equivalent to almost £4 billion. Oxfam and ActionAid UK have both
expressed their displeasure with the decision. Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan,
Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the top recipients of UK
foreign aid from Africa.
Former colonial powers such as
France and the United Kingdom have a moral obligation to give and support their
former colonies financially through existing foreign aid programs during the
Covid-19 pandemic, and withdrawing funding in this difficult circumstances
would be exceedingly irresponsible.
According to a recent Washington
Post report, China is Africa's largest bilateral creditor, holding at least 21%
of African debt and responsible for over 30% of debt service payments in 2021. Due
to a lack of ability to repay debts, strategic and state-owned enterprises in
Kenya and Zambia are at risk of being taken over by China, reinforcing China's
hegemony. The Maritime Executive had reported that, the Port of Mombasa, which
was used as security for a loan received from China for Kenya Railways
Corporation (KRC), is in peril.
Former Broadcast Minister Chishimba
Kambwili stated in 2019 that if Zambia is unable to repay Chinese commercial
lenders, the government will relinquish access to the country's copper
resources and public assets, including the Kenneth Kaunda International
Airport, to China, according to globalriskinsights.com.
China's economic expansion and
growing influence in world politics, as well as its readiness to assist
Africa's less developed countries, have eroded Western dominance on the
continent.
China and Africa
China's long-standing relationship
with Africa is solely based on economic and political grounds. Africa is rich
in natural resources, which could be the key to China's expansion. According to
the SAIS China Africa Research Initiative (SAIS-CARI) at Johns Hopkins
University, China is Africa's largest trading partner, valued more than $190
billion in 2019.
China's Belt and Road Initiative
(BRI) has taken centre-stage in its foreign strategy. This plan is a global
infrastructure development strategy that is expected to involve more than 170
countries and organizations. According to silkroadbriefing.com, the BRI's
investments reach US$1.9 trillion and encompass 1,590 projects. Nigeria and Kenya,
Sudan, are among the countries that would benefit from this initiative.
The BRI has been viewed as a
direct threat to the predominance of Western states. As a result, in 2012, the
Trump administration restricted US corporations from using Huawei networking
equipment in order to counteract China's expanding influence. As a response,
Huawei was added to the Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List of the US
Department of Commerce in 2019, thereby barring the business from utilizing US
communications networks.
The Biden administration signed
an Executive Order (EO) earlier this month prohibiting Americans from
participating in 59 Chinese firms, including Hangzhou Hikvision Digital
Technology, Proven Glory Capital, and Proven Honour Capital. As per the EOs,
the conflict between these countries is real, and other countries may serve as
a test bed for them to gauge their strength on global issues.
Conclusion
The continuous conflict between
the United States and China is escalating in Africa. The majority of African
countries are underdeveloped. By not overburdening Africa with debt and
influence, the West and China are obligated to assist it.
Africa is currently in serious
need of regeneration. The lack of Covid-19 vaccines, combined with Africa's
general economic recession, should not be seen as a chance to exacerbate their
suffering.
The majority of African countries
are members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). The primary goal of this forum
is to opposes imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism, and any forms
of foreign invasion, occupation, dominance, intervention, or hegemony, as well
as major power and bloc politics. As a result, Africa's neutrality should be
preserved.
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