Melber Responds To Anti-China Bias Claim

ALLOW me to correct a gross misrepresentation of parts of my lecture at the Hanns Seidel Foundation on 15 August referred to by “Yangganfu” (letter of September 22).

It is wrongly stated that I qualified China as a ‘Yellow Threat’, on the basis of which I’m associated with American and Western propaganda. This turns my original argument into its opposite meaning.I made reference to the term ‘yellow threat’ to dismiss it as a racist category, which is used by critics of the Chinese policy to provoke further discriminating prejudices.The example was used to illustrate how the ‘traditional’ imperialist competitors denounce a (not so) new kid on the block, since the Chinese expansion into Africa is part of a new scramble for securing and exploiting natural as well as human resources on the continent.To that extent I also argued that China pursues a similar type of predatory capitalism as those who originally invaded the continent.I further held the opinion that China’s presence is neither bad nor good by definition.Instead, it is a challenge for governments to try and find a way of turning it into some benefits for the local economies and in particular the African people.This should be the one and only yardstick from an African perspective.I explicitly shared the view that China’s engagement in Namibia should not be in the first place dismissed as a threat without looking into the possible gains.”Yangganfu” challenges me on grounds which are not mine and takes me to task for issues I have presented totally differently.There were almost a hundred people present, who could certainly testify to this.However, I have indeed criticised the Chinese policy principle of non-interference, which s/he defends so vehemently as “right and wise”.Well, China itself has on several occasions pursued a different policy in the past and is credited for this.If it had been for non-interference, China wouldn’t have supported the liberation struggles in Southern Africa, for which it now poses as a close ally to the governments in power and uses it for seeking business opportunities.So much about a principle.It is selectively applied, and used as an excuse for closing eyes to blatant human rights violations and abuses when this is serving conveniently as a smokescreen for doing own business (like in Zimbabwe and Sudan).For this I am criticising Chinese policy as uncompromisingly as I am condemning and ridiculing the selective double standards of other imperialist powers, wherever they operate to pursue their own agendas with opportunistic arguments in the vague effort to cover up their self-interests.My lecture was followed by an open and lengthy debate.Many participants articulated their different views, to which I responded.It is regrettable that “Yangganfu” did not confront me then with her/his views.It would have been an opportunity to correct certain misunderstandings and to confirm differences in opinion on other matters.After all, this would have been the type of dialogue s/he advocates now.Instead, we end up more than a month later in a forum where most people have no possibility to verify the facts and are unable to directly participate.Henning Melber Uppsala, SwedenThis turns my original argument into its opposite meaning.I made reference to the term ‘yellow threat’ to dismiss it as a racist category, which is used by critics of the Chinese policy to provoke further discriminating prejudices.The example was used to illustrate how the ‘traditional’ imperialist competitors denounce a (not so) new kid on the block, since the Chinese expansion into Africa is part of a new scramble for securing and exploiting natural as well as human resources on the continent.To that extent I also argued that China pursues a similar type of predatory capitalism as those who originally invaded the continent.I further held the opinion that China’s presence is neither bad nor good by definition.Instead, it is a challenge for governments to try and find a way of turning it into some benefits for the local economies and in particular the African people.This should be the one and only yardstick from an African perspective.I explicitly shared the view that China’s engagement in Namibia should not be in the first place dismissed as a threat without looking into the possible gains.”Yangganfu” challenges me on grounds which are not mine and takes me to task for issues I have presented totally differently.There were almost a hundred people present, who could certainly testify to this.However, I have indeed criticised the Chinese policy principle of non-interference, which s/he defends so vehemently as “right and wise”.Well, China itself has on several occasions pursued a different policy in the past and is credited for this.If it had been for non-interference, China wouldn’t have supported the liberation struggles in Southern Africa, for which it now poses as a close ally to the governments in power and uses it for seeking business opportunities.So much about a principle.It is selectively applied, and used as an excuse for closing eyes to blatant human rights violations and abuses when this is serving conveniently as a smokescreen for doing own business (like in Zimbabwe and Sudan).For this I am criticising Chinese policy as uncompromisingly as I am condemning and ridiculing the selective double standards of other imperialist powers, wherever they operate to pursue their own agendas with opportunistic arguments in the vague effort to cover up their self-interests.My lecture was followed by an open and lengthy debate.Many participants articulated their different views, to which I responded.It is regrettable that “Yangganfu” did not confront me then with her/his views.It would have been an opportunity to correct certain misunderstandings and to confirm differences in opinion on other matters.After all, this would have been the type of dialogue s/he advocates now.Instead, we end up more than a month later in a forum where most people have no possibility to verify the facts and are unable to directly participate.Henning Melber Uppsala, Sweden