Is China A ‘Yellow Threat’

I HAVE read several articles published by The Namibian about China and Africa: ‘Africa benefits from links with China’ (09/8/2006); ‘Government should wise up to benefits of China invasion’ (11/8/2006); ‘China can lift Africa from poverty’ (16/8/2006), to name a few.

It can be seen that China’s rapid economic growth and its economic aid and cooperation in Africa have attracted much attention across the world. There is international consensus that China has made outstanding economic commitments to Africa since the middle of the last century.However, Henning Melber, from the Nordic Africa Institute, in his presentation organised by Hanns Seidel Foundation in Windhoek on August 15 called Chinese commitments to the world community a “Yellow Threat” in Africa and other parts of the world.This reminds me of the American propaganda in the last century which labelled Asia, mostly Japan, a “Yellow Peril” and the current Western propaganda which also employs the term “China Threat”.My questions to Dr Melber are: Has China ever threatened the lives of African people? Has China ever killed thousands and thousands of Africans and thrown them into the sea and bushes? What term have you coined about Iraqi war, which under the leadership of America and followed by Western nations, kills lots of civilians and the Israeli killing of many Lebanese civilians? Will you also employ the term “Red Threat” or “White Threat” for the colonial period in Africa? It is understandable that Dr Melber and his supporters complain a lot about Chinese construction and Chinese shops in Namibia if they are blind to the realities.I have been involved myself in construction area in Namibia for more than four years.My experience tells me that the Chinese are the lowest construction bidders with speedy and quality work.To this end, I would like to request Dr Melber to go to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Works to find out how much Chinese construction has saved for the Namibian Government.It is true that there are many Chinese shops in Namibia.But please be reminded that most Chinese shops are doing wholesale business with Angola and local dealers.This benefits Namibians in terms of employment, tax, improving infrastructure like that in Oshikango, among others.I would again request Dr Melber and his followers to go to the Social Security Commission to find out how many Namibians have been employed by the Chinese shops, not to mention thousands of local workers being employed by Chinese construction companies.Another core point is the non-interference policy adopted by China when dealing with the other nations.Dr Melber is upset because China never puts conditions demanding “political reform”, improvement of “human rights” by African nations when China has cooperation with them.Jeffrey Sachs, a special adviser to Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General, points out that “The idea that aid should be heavily conditioned with political conditions was a mistake” (published in The Namibian on 16/8/2006).According to Dr Melber, this China policy facilitates or encourages the corruption, abuse of power in African nations, like that of Sudan.I don’t see any importance arguing whether the Sudan example he gave is true or not.(The Sudanese people can witness this).But I really want to tell him and through him to his supporters that non-interference policy of China is right and wise.It is common knowledge that each country has its own culture.A nation’s history, religion, values, beliefs, thought patterns and other cultural dimensions determine how the people of that culture live their social and daily life.Local resources should be and must be fully employed to solve local issues or conflicts.Any foreign elements to be forced into the local resources will not work but only worsen the situation as we can see from the Iraqi war.Ellenmann-Jensen in ‘Coexistence or No Existence’ published in The Namibian on 20 March 2006 points out that: Our globalised world brings us not only economic opportunities but also cultural and spiritual challenges .We should all acknowledge that in the modern world it is increasingly necessary for all sensitive people to work for mutual respect, tolerance and better understanding.We must avoid situations where different values are confronted with each other in ways that trigger violence.Instead, we must try to build bridges between religions, ethics and norms”.By now, I want to say it is quite irresponsible and unacceptable to simply label China a ‘Yellow Threat’ and attacking it for non-interference.Harmony is better than confrontation.Think before you jump to conclusions.Yangganfu WindhoekThere is international consensus that China has made outstanding economic commitments to Africa since the middle of the last century.However, Henning Melber, from the Nordic Africa Institute, in his presentation organised by Hanns Seidel Foundation in Windhoek on August 15 called Chinese commitments to the world community a “Yellow Threat” in Africa and other parts of the world.This reminds me of the American propaganda in the last century which labelled Asia, mostly Japan, a “Yellow Peril” and the current Western propaganda which also employs the term “China Threat”.My questions to Dr Melber are: Has China ever threatened the lives of African people? Has China ever killed thousands and thousands of Africans and thrown them into the sea and bushes? What term have you coined about Iraqi war, which under the leadership of America and followed by Western nations, kills lots of civilians and the Israeli killing of many Lebanese civilians? Will you also employ the term “Red Threat” or “White Threat” for the colonial period in Africa? It is understandable that Dr Melber and his supporters complain a lot about Chinese construction and Chinese shops in Namibia if they are blind to the realities.I have been involved myself in construction area in Namibia for more than four years.My experience tells me that the Chinese are the lowest construction bidders with speedy and quality work.To this end, I would like to request Dr Melber to go to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Works to find out how much Chinese construction has saved for the Namibian Government.It is true that there are many Chinese shops in Namibia.But please be reminded that most Chinese shops are doing wholesale business with Angola and local dealers.This benefits Namibians in terms of employment, tax, improving infrastructure like that in Oshikango, among others.I would again request Dr Melber and his followers to go to the Social Security Commission to find out how many Namibians have been employed by the Chinese shops, not to mention thousands of local workers being employed by Chinese construction companies.Another core point is the non-interference policy adopted by China when dealing with the other nations.Dr Melber is upset because China never puts conditions demanding “political reform”, improvement of “human rights” by African nations when China has cooperation with them.Jeffrey Sachs, a special adviser to Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General, points out that “The idea that aid should be heavily conditioned with political conditions was a mistake” (published in The Namibian on 16/8/2006).According to Dr Melber, this China policy facilitates or encourages the corruption, abuse of power in African nations, like that of Sudan.I don’t see any importance arguing whether the Sudan example he gave is true or not.(The Sudanese people can witness this).But I really want to tell him and through him to his supporters that non-interference policy of China is right and wise.It is common knowledge that each country has its own culture.A nation’s history, religion, values, beliefs, thought patterns and other cultural dimensions determine how the people of that culture live their social and daily life. Local resources should be and must be fully employed to solve local issues or conflicts.Any foreign elements to be forced into the local resources will not work but only worsen the situation as we can see from the Iraqi war.Ellenmann-Jensen in ‘Coexistence or No Existenc
e’ published in The Namibian on 20 March 2006 points out that: Our globalised world brings us not only economic opportunities but also cultural and spiritual challenges .We should all acknowledge that in the modern world it is increasingly necessary for all sensitive people to work for mutual respect, tolerance and better understanding.We must avoid situations where different values are confronted with each other in ways that trigger violence.Instead, we must try to build bridges between religions, ethics and norms”.By now, I want to say it is quite irresponsible and unacceptable to simply label China a ‘Yellow Threat’ and attacking it for non-interference.Harmony is better than confrontation.Think before you jump to conclusions.Yangganfu Windhoek