The Sino-Afro (love) affair

You have heard of Pakistani Americans, you have heard of American British and you have also heard of British Indians. But you have probably never heard of Chinese Africans. Yes, its a bit difficult to imagine that, but just hold on to that face in your head for a little while longer and you will find out why Chinese Africans may be fast becoming a reality over the next decade.
As a part of its increasing influence in the African continent, China just doled out Zambia a $53 million loan to set up mobile hospitals to serve the latters rural communities. The size of this loan is dwarfed by the commitment of $10 billion worth of low-interest loans pledged to African countries by China late last year.
These loans come in the backdrop of meteoric rise of Chinese investments in Africa seen in roughly the last ten years, where nearly $10 billion have been poured in a bouquet of investment avenues in the African continent.
The quantum of Chinese interest can be gauged by the fact that at the start of this calendar year, some 100 Chinese firms had made inroads in the African continent - investing not just in oil, their investment avenue, but also in mines, construction and manufacturing. Reportedly, some 750,000 workers and businessmen have moved in search of opportunities.
The growing Sino involvement in the region, however, is not without discontent. While the African elite and rulers seem to be happy off with increasing Chinese stakes, the masses have shown resentment in some parts of the region.
Unlike their Western counterparts, Chinese firms, many of which are state-owned, bring their own labour - an element that, along with higher Chinese involvement in retail business activities in the region, has ticked off the African masses which are rendered out of work as a consequence.
And this is what the West has been playing its cards on, along with the alleged environment abuses by the Chinese mineral and oil diggers.
Despite this, however, the Chinese are being welcomed more in the region than the Westerners. And thats because unlike its western counterparts, the Chinese don get involved in domestic politics.
While the West gives more and more lectures to Africa on democracy and liberalisation, China invests in their real sector project like railroads, dams, farm development, information and technology amongst others. The opinions, therefore, are tilted towards the Asian dragon.
In order to ensure long-term supply of raw materials for its booming domestic economy, China is aiming to penetrate further in Africa by means of cultural homogenisation.
Take for instance the agreement signed between China and Ethiopia to work on a cultural exchange program from 2010 to 2013. Though its unclear how strongly will mutual traffic grow, it will be interesting to see both countries exchange their art troupes, artists, writers and art exhibitions with each other.
As the struggle for influence heats up in Africa, such cultural exchange programmes and schools, where Chinese language and tradition is taught, are mushrooming all over the continent. Reportedly, Beijing has also invested in preaching Confucianism in select regions of the continent.
If all goes well as planned, who knows, intermarriages between the two blocs will also catch up with the trend, and before you know it, a new breed of Chinese Africans will be born. Its funny, how globalisation works, isn it?