All does not seem to be well over the past 48 hours for Africans in China, especially as anti-African sentiments take an accelerated pace. The build-up started in Nanjing on June 16th where an African “laowai” (name for foreigner) was seriously beaten by Chinese people for allegedly hitting a Chinese girl with his electric bike. The entire Chinese bystanders on Nanjing’s Zhongshan Road descended on the defenseless African boy and beat him to unconsciousness. In less than 5 hours of the incident, it was all over Chinese media outlets of how African nationals are rude and black devils. The worst of it again happened on June 18th, this time in China’s business city of Guangzhou, where another African national was seriously beaten and later died in a police cell. The exact cause of his death is not yet known but a Police media report maintains that the African laowai had a fight with a taxi driver over taxi fare. The fight according to bystanders was mere slaps after which both of them were taken to the Kuangquan Police for investigation by 1 pm. At exactly 5pm, only the African national was reported dead by the Police. News of the African laowai’s death quickly spread to the “chocolate city” (the business district dominated by blacks) and prompted hundreds of Africans to protest in front of the Kuangquan police station. Nothing has since been done but the Police in whose custody only the African died have promised to investigate the matter.

The above incident in just three days leaves me to wonder whether the so-called Forum on China-African Cooperation is at all useful or whether he romance is just to decorate the much trumpeted “mutual benefits” and “win-win relationships” between China and Africa. Since the establishment of FOCAC, Africa and China have both seen changes in the socio-cultural, economic and political landscapes of their respective countries. Nothing has so far been free either from China or Africa, and if anything, Africa seems to be the underdog who seems to be eating crumbs falling from the dragon’s dining table.

With the increase in anti-African sentiments from the Chinese, what prospects does the so-called cooperation hold in future socio-economic and cultural cohesion? Guangzhou is the city with the highest number of Africans with an estimated 20,000 Africans legally resident in the city – predominantly West Africans and an unknown number of illegal residents and short-term visitors could swell the figure toward 100,000. How many Chinese are all together in Africa, and what explanations can we give for such a trend?

The accelerated rise of Chinese interest in African resources, characterized by their desire to create markets for their flood of imported cheap goods into Africa unquestionably explains this trend, an allegation Chinese official constantly refutes. In the words of Mo Jun, director of the Guangzhou municipal government foreign affairs office, “the growing presence of African traders and business-people reflects closer ties between the city and Africa. In the eyes of many Africans, a new land of opportunity has opened its gates in the East, just as those of Europe are closing.”

Unfortunately, realities on the ground in China are quite the opposite. Life for Africans is becoming more difficult and is going from bad to worse since the 2008 Beijing Olympic where a sense of fascination with the newcomers has given way to instances of racism, police harassment and an increasingly stringent and corrupt visa system that has contributed to a rise in illegal migrants. Entry visas are easy to get, but a combination of tighter regulations and corruption has made visa renewals more difficult and expensive. Nigerian passports cost the most: a one-year visa extension sells for between RMB10,000 ($1,460) and 18,000. Fees are hiked opportunistically, and after protests sparked by the death of a Nigerian who tried to escape a police crack-down on illegals in July 2009, the fee for a one-year extension soared to RMB35,000 (US$5,126). Africans have little say in the process, regardless of how long they have been residents.

How does FOCAC fit into all these degenerating developments? China hosted the second China-Africa Young Leaders Forum (200 young leaders from China and 38 African countries attended the two-day forum focused on China-Africa cooperation and youth development) on Tuesday June 19th in Beijing with a declaration calling for enhanced youth exchanges and cooperation. This same day, the Chinese government through Li Changchun, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), on Tuesday called for closer cultural exchanges between China and African countries in a meeting with the chief delegates from 45 African countries who were here for the first China-Africa culture ministers' forum held under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

When I read about the meetings I was amazed at the level of commitment on the part of China to promote relations with Africa but yet cannot understand the seeming sycophancy from our respective African leaders and youths in actually addressing the pressing issues of that day. Ironically, while China was promising renewed cooperation with African youths and Ministers, an African was killed in Guangzhou on that same day and no one dare say a thing about it. Are our African leaders only in FOCAC for Chinese pledges? When will our leaders in Africa take on the dragon for their resource shortage quest in Africa and the racist sentiments towards blacks?

My fear is that if immediate action is not taken to address the current spate of harassment of Africans in China, it has the tendency of having adverse ripple effects for China in Africa. 

I therefore want to take this opportunity to speak out to our various African policy makers and politicians who regularly compare notes with the Chinese government officials in FOCAC.  Be assertive in letting Chinese officials know about what we want, how we want it, and feedbacks from your constituents about the dragon’s offer. Tread cautiously in your romance with the dragon and watch your back. While you seek after economic and cultural growth, kindly note the need for human security and development especially of African scholars, business class in China and recipient of the dragon’s friendly gestures in Africa.

China is too big a country to hide behind some of these trivialities, and don’t fall for the cliché from them that they (China) too are a developing country. Sure, China is a developing country, but not just any developing country. It is the only developing country that is today the world’s second largest economy with prospects of overtaking the USA by 2016. China need to demystify allegations of it been the biggest free rider by taking onboard some global responsibilities. With greater power, goes with greater responsibilities.

By Patrick Brima Kapuwa.
Institute of International Studies, Jilin University China.