China had embarked on a focused economic campaign to expand ties and secure natural resources throughout Africa but it had little interest in providing meaningful investment. It just wanted to secure resources and get out.
This was said by South African representative Horst Brammer at the American Institute in Taiwan seven years ago long before China had become the world’s second largest economy.
Brammer said China was aggressively seeking resources and raw materials for its growing economic needs and was looking to Africa for crude oil, base metals, and other minerals.
He also noted that Beijing had pressed African governments facing economic problems to sell a controlling stake in national resources in exchange for loans and cash.
For example in Zimbabwe, he said, President Robert Mugabe went to China to seek a US$1 billion loan. Beijing refused the loan but instead arranged a deal in which in exchange for assistance, Mugabe promised Beijing co-ownership of various mining rights in Zimbabwe.
Ed: Brammer was saying what the Americans and the West want to hear. But the question is: if the West was doing such a good job in Africa, how did China creep in when all it wanted was to exploit
these poor African countries? And in Zimbabwe, there are a lot of people singing the same hymn.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 05TAIPEI3262, CHINA OUTMANEUVERING TAIWAN IN AFRICA
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 07 TAIPEI 003262
SIPDIS
STATE PASS AIT/WASHINGTON
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/04/2015
SUBJECT: CHINA OUTMANEUVERING TAIWAN IN AFRICA
Classified By: AIT Director Douglas Paal, Reason 1.4 (b/d)
¶1. (C) Summary: The PRC is promoting an economic and
political campaign in Africa to expand its regional
influence, secure natural resources, and pressure Taiwan’s
diplomatic partners. Taiwan officials and African diplomats
resident in Taipei state Beijing is offering economic
incentives to governments in exchange for mining rights and
is actively pursuing energy deals throughout the continent.
The PRC is also using its growing international influence,
wielding its UN Security Council membership for national
gain, and using regional organizations to expand its presence
in Africa and entice opposition leaders and government
officials to derecognize Taiwan. The diplomats further
assess that Taipei’s African foreign policy strategy is
inadequate and does not address the current global realities
in light of the PRC’s growing international clout. They note
that Taiwan officials themselves see little hope for
countering Beijing in Africa. End summary.
Beijing’s Economic Campaign
—————————
¶2. (C) Beijing has embarked on a focused economic campaign to
expand ties and secure natural resources throughout the
continent. South African Representative Horst Brammer told
AIT that the PRC is aggressively seeking resources and raw
materials for Beijing’s growing economic needs and is looking
to Africa for crude oil, base metals, and other minerals. He
told AIT that while Beijing’s influence across Africa is
increasing, there is no good will in the PRC’s efforts to
promote its interests and noted that there is very little
substantive PRC investment reaching African communities or
promoting the long term interests of the region. Brammer
argued that the PRC is focused on its long term goal of
securing political influence through its economy, but has
little interest in providing meaningful investment. It
primarily wants to secure resources and get out.
¶3. (C) Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Deputy
Director General for African Affairs, Jacques Wu, told AIT
that the PRC’s economic campaign in Africa includes a myriad
of economic incentives and trade pacts to promote Beijing’s
interests. Wu noted that Beijing is using Free Trade
Agreements (FTA) to expand trade tries with several African
nations including Uganda, Nigeria, and Kenya. South Africa’s
Brammer reported that there have been many PRC sponsored
trade delegations throughout the continent and said that
Beijing is pushing an FTA with the Southern Africa
Development Community (SADC), which is composed of thirteen
nations in Southern Africa. He told AIT that Pretoria
anticipates Beijing will try to pressure South Africa
demanding that Swaziland must derecognize Taiwan before
PRC-SADC FTA talks can move forward.
¶4. (C) Brammer also noted that Beijing has pressed African
governments facing economic problems to sell a controlling
stake in national resources in exchange for loans and cash.
Brammer likened this to a new form of colonialism and
lamented that some countries were essentially selling off
their independence to the PRC as Beijing becomes entrenched
in various sectors of their economies. For example in
Zimbabwe, he noted that President Robert Mugabe recently went
to the PRC to seek a USD one billion dollar loan. Beijing
refused the loan but instead arranged a deal in which in
exchange for assistance, Mugabe promised Beijing co-ownership
of various mining rights in Zimbabwe. In Senegal, MOFA’s Wu
said that Beijing is pursuing a similar strategy and has been
trying to buy rights to iron mines.
Actively Pursuing Oil Deals
—————————
¶5. (C) A major focus of the PRC’s campaign in Africa is its
drive to secure oil resources. Oman Commercial Office
Director in Taipei Sulaiman Bin Sultan Al-Mughairy told AIT
that the PRC is aggressively pursuing oil exploration
projects in the Sudan, Sao Tome and Principe, Ghana, Chad and
a number of other countries. Chad Embassy First Counselor
Guedmadingar Masdongar confirmed to AIT that Beijing is
actively pursuing oil projects in Chad – a diplomatic partner
of Taiwan – via joint ventures with Canadian and other energy
firms. Oman’s Al-Mughairy told AIT that Taiwan has only
recently begun making efforts to sign oil deals, largely in
response to the PRC, but he remarked that Beijing already has
a substantial advantage in Africa because it has the
influence to block Taiwan. The Director of the Forum on
African Studies at National Chengchi University’s Institute
of International relations (IIR), Chen Shen-yen, added that
Taiwan has been left out of the oil race in Africa because
Taipei has mainly focused on maintaining African partners
instead of pursuing ventures that benefit Taiwan’s economic
interests.
PRC Migration Also Helping Beijing
———————————-
¶6. (C) Large scale PRC migration to Africa is also advancing
the PRC’s economic reach. South Africa’s Brammer told AIT
that there are large numbers of illegal and legal PRC
immigrants residing in South Africa. He said that Pretoria
estimates there are 50,000-80,000 illegal PRC nationals and
possibly as many as 100,000 legal Chinese residents in South
Africa. IIR’s Chen noted that in addition to South Africa,
West Africa is also seeing many PRC immigrants, who are
helping advance Beijing’s business interests by investing and
seeking joint ventures with African firms. Brammer lamented
that the influx is also bringing PRC organized crime
elements, which are involved in trafficking, smuggling, and
other illegal activities. He noted that there have been
instances where Chinese tour groups visit South Africa but
only the tour leader returns to the PRC.
Courting Political and Government Leaders
—————————————–
¶7. (C) Beijing is also utilizing its economic leverage to woo
political and government leaders to switch ties from Taiwan
to the PRC. MOFA’s Wu told AIT that Beijing has been
focusing in particular on Taiwan ally Sao Tome and Principe’s
ruling party, the Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and
Principe (MLSTP). In February 2005, the PRC invited MLSTP
head Manual Pinto to Beijing for talks on the prospects of
Sao Tome switching diplomatic ties to Beijing (Note: Pinto
was President of Sao Tome’s Socialist Government from
1975-1991. End note). Wu speculated that Beijing’s interest
in Sao Tome and Principe is Sao Tome’s large oil reserves
believed to be off-shore. South Africa’s Brammer opined that
Sao Tome and Principe would be the next Taiwan diplomatic
partner that will be lost to the PRC because of Beijing’s
heavy pressure.
¶8. (C) MOFA’s Wu told AIT that in Malawi and Swaziland the
PRC is courting opposition leaders and political parties with
promises of economic aid and kickbacks in exchange for
encouraging the government to recognize Beijing. IIR’s Chen
noted that Taiwan partner Senegal is also wavering because
President Abdoulaye Wade is seeking to expand Dakar’s
international exposure and influence within the region and
has approached global organizations for assistance. Chen
speculated that President Wade will need the PRC’s support if
he hopes to realize his aims of additional aid for Dakar and
thus, will seek to open ties with the PRC.
Using Multilateral Diplomacy
—————————-
¶9. (C) Beijing has sought to promote a foreign policy that
utilizes multilateral organizations and its position on the
Security Council to expand its influence in Africa and exert
pressure on Taiwan. South Africa’s Brammer pointed out that
in 2002 Beijing threatened to use its Security Council veto
to block the peace keeping budget for Liberia if Monrovia did
not switch diplomatic ties to the PRC. (Note: In response,
Liberia recognized the PRC in October 2002. End note).
MOFA’s Wu added that the PRC is also using regional
organizations such as the Africa Union, SADC, and the African
Development Bank to pressure Taiwan’s diplomatic partners.
Chad’s Masdongar told AIT that during African Union meetings,
the Presidents of Senegal, Chad, and Sao Tome and Principe
were encouraged by other African Union members to break
relations with Taiwan. IIR’s Chen added that Beijing has
also developed the Sino-Africa forum, which meets every two
years, and uses this forum as a tool to build influence by
forgiving debt and offering aid only to governments that
recognize the PRC.
Taiwan Unable to Combat Beijing
——————————-
¶10. (C) Taipei has been slow to adopt, or even face the need
for a new long-term diplomatic strategy and has been content
to rely on outdated policies to counter Beijing. Taiwan
government officials admit that Taipei’s position in Africa
is worsening, although MOFA’s Wu said Taiwan is trying its
best to maintain its small foothold in Africa by
differentiating itself from Beijing with various aid projects
that benefit the people rather than support corrupt
officials. He said that most of Taiwan’s aid projects are
focused on agriculture, health, education, and sanitation
while Beijing typically builds large infrastructure projects
such as soccer stadiums or bridges.
¶11. (C) South Africa’s Brammer agreed that Taipei has many
excellent aid projects that do much for the region, but he
argued that Taiwan is losing ground to the PRC because Taipei
is still using “conventional diplomacy in an unconventional
world.” Brammer argued that Taiwan should adopt a different
diplomatic strategy and that Taipei is wasting resources on
inconsequential nations that do not give Taiwan anything in
return. He said that Taipei should focus on nations that
play a larger role in Taiwan’s stability and its commercial
interests and contends that the Chen administration must not
link independence rhetoric and Taiwanese identity to its
diplomatic strategy. He further asserted that Taiwan’s
obsession with diplomatic recognition has only reduced its
international credibility because of the type of countries
that Taipei supports.
Comment: Little Taiwan Can or Will Do
————————————-
¶12. (C) Taiwan has been unable to counter the PRC’s challenge
in Africa because Beijing has the resources and the strategy
to outmaneuver and outbid Taipei. On the home front in
Taiwan, legislators and the public are growing weary of
generous aid packages being offered to African nations simply
to maintain symbolic diplomatic ties that offer little in
return. Taipei does have much to offer in the technical and
humanitarian assistance arena, but new strategies that
promote this experience can only go so far against the array
of economic incentives Beijing is offering to African
leaders. Moreover, the majority of nations in Africa that
recognize Taiwan are not overly concerned about Taipei’s
democratic values and, more often than not, the biggest
factor in the recognition game is simply how much aid flows
into the government’s pockets. As long as Taiwan continues
to refuse to address this reality and relies on traditional
diplomatic strategies, Taipei will continue to be
marginalized in Africa and around the world.
PAAL
(46 VIEWS)
