[Letters] China’s unethical Africa push

Africa has long been thought of as a primitive, wild continent that’s still far away from being modernized. That’s why although statistics today actually show that the GDP per capita in Africa is similar to that of India and its economy has been experiencing similar growth rates to India’s over the past decade, it is probably true that most nations have never considered the continent the next big fish. However, China has apparently found something that others have overlooked. China is looking beyond the continent’s natural resources. It understands that Africa’s consuming power is on the rise as the population is rising and its overall economic conditions are improving. That’s why the nation is thinking ahead and is busy setting up businesses in the continent.

China now has its eyes on the wealthier part of Africa that’s leading its economy at a fast pace. Obviously China is making big plans all around the world to continue with their growth as a nation and it seems like it’s doing a good job discovering Africa, the continent where a handful of economic elites exist with similar spending power to the middle classes in China.

However, what’s sad is that while other nations and numerous NGOs around the world are working to help the poorer half of Africa, China is scurrying to make use of the other half, the piece of cake that no one has yet laid a finger on. While they make big money from the market they set up in Africa, resources and money are shipped out of the continent, which means more people with cars and Chinese-made T-shirts, shoes and bicycles in the richer half, and more deaths of starved children in the other half.

The bigger the market gets, the less African nations and their governments can do for their people. If China has any concern for the starving 200 million people in Africa, it should stop its project before it’s too late.

Woo Hyo-eun, Seoul Global High School