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10. China’s Relations with West and Central Africa
- University of Pennsylvania Press
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10 China’s Relations with West and Central Africa West and Central Africa were the principal diplomatic battlegrounds between Beijing and Taipei. The different political leanings among governments in this region were strong. These countries also experienced a higher frequency of regime change than those in other African regions, which increased the possibility for them to switch recognition between the PRC and Taiwan. During the 1960s, when it considered opposition groups closer to its views, China interfered in the internal affairs of some independent African governments in the region. On several occasions, China armed and trained opposition groups, angering the affected governments. Of the twenty-one countries in this region, only Guinea, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, and Cape Verde never established diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Ghana suspended relations with Beijing in the 1960s but did not recognize Taiwan. All the others either recognized Taiwan after independence or switched recognition at least once since independence. The Central African Republic and Liberia recognized the PRC and Taiwan three times each. Today, all the countries except Gambia and São Tomé and Principe recognize Beijing. China focused its efforts in the 1960s on left-leaning Guinea, Ghana, Burundi, and Congo-Brazzaville. In response to Washington and Moscow’s Cold War competition in the Congo, now the DRC, Beijing unsuccessfully supported Congolese groups opposed to both superpowers. In GuineaBissau and Cape Verde, China backed liberation wars against Portugal. In the late 1960s and 1970s, many African governments became more leftwing . A few such as Ghana and the DRC became more moderate. In the 1970s, China adopted a more pragmatic approach to relations with African countries. This combination resulted in increasing numbers of these Relations with West and Central Africa 285 countries recognizing Beijing. For example, Beijing established cordial relations with the DRC’s conservative Mobutu Sese Seko government. Increasing pragmatism and greater focus on economic ties have become China’s standard practice. Over time, China emphasized strong relations with countries that have raw materials. While countries such as Guinea, Burundi, and Guinea-Bissau received disproportional attention in the 1960s, they subsequently fell in relative importance. Guinea became important again in 2009 following a large Chinese investment in its bauxite sector. Other countries that became significantly more important to Beijing include the DRC (minerals), Congo-Brazzaville (oil), Equatorial Guinea (oil), Nigeria (oil and political influence), and Gabon (oil and minerals). Ghana’s political clout and recent oil discovery have attracted China’s attention. Meanwhile, China has not neglected other countries in the region. As China’s requirements for imports change, additional African countries develop desirable raw materials , and governmental developments change policy toward China, these relationships will continue to evolve. The large number of countries in West and Central Africa, the growing importance of the Economic Community of West African States, and the role of these countries in international forums provide added incentives for China to cultivate good relations with countries in this region. Guinea Guineans voted against a French constitutional referendum in 1958 that resulted in abrupt independence and a strained relationship with France. Most Western countries abandoned Guinea. The Soviet Union stepped in but made a series of blunders.1 China promptly recognized Guinea. Conakry reciprocated but sought to maintain good relations with the Soviet Union. Not convinced Guinea was a true revolutionary state, Beijing took a year before opening an embassy in Conakry. Eventually concluding that Guinea could serve as a beachhead in West Africa, the PRC increasingly focused efforts there. It opened a Xinhua office in 1960; several months later Guinean President Sékou Touré was the first African leader to visit Beijing. The two counties signed treaties on political and trade relations. Guinea became a large recipient of PRC grants and loans.2 [3.87.209.162] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 10:53 GMT) 286 Chapter 10 In subsequent decades, Guinea benefited significantly from Chinese economic and military aid. In 1967, Sékou Touré praised China’s ‘‘unpretentious approach’’ to aid, although Guineans were disappointed with the quality of Chinese goods.3 Guinea-China relations have been cordial, but did not live up to early expectations. Sékou Touré sought to play East against West and Moscow against Beijing and by 1979 had received $85 million in grants and loans from China.4 By 1978, China trained about 360 Guinean military personnel in China and that year had thirty military specialists in Guinea. The military cooperation begun in 1961 was suspended in 1982 but resumed in 1992. High...