what are the differences between china and the west in their approach to africa? an african scholar uses glue as an analogy
2024-09-23
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reference news reported on september 23on september 21, the ugandan newspaper new vision published an article titled "china-africa relations - gluing the agreement together", written by salim avila assuman, a researcher at the uganda development observatory. the article is excerpted as follows:
have you ever encountered this problem when gluing two pieces of paper: it is not easy to stick together, and the glue is too sticky and it is easy to get hollow. welcome to join the topic of establishing agreements. in this field, glue must not only work, but also, just as importantly, work for a long time.
agreements reached by western countries are particularly easy to break down, but china’s agreements are very resilient. what is the secret?
china's approach is to put glue on all four sides of the agreement to make sure that the corners are glued together. think about the belt and road initiative, think about how all-encompassing it is.
the belt and road initiative is much more than high-level infrastructure projects. in fact, the initiative builds a matrix of relationships based on long-term cooperation, strategic loans and technology transfer. every contract within the belt and road framework represents an exercise in patience, designed to benefit both china and its partners. such ties are unbreakable and bind the two sides tightly together.
the effort is not just to sign an agreement, but to ensure that it lasts. this alone explains why the vast majority of countries involved in the belt and road initiative will not change their cooperative relationship even if they encounter challenges. china will not sign an agreement and leave, but will stay there and strengthen ties if necessary.
in contrast, signing deals with the west is often like gluing two pieces of paper together with a cheap glue stick: the two pieces of paper are linked, but the link is tenuous and easily separated when pressure is applied.
for example, the paris agreement on climate change was hyped as some kind of major achievement, but this is not the case. some western countries may have been forced by political and economic situations to partially abandon their commitments or goals. in this case, the glue was applied too thinly and too quickly without considering the long-term impact.
why is this happening? because most agreements with western countries are based on very short-term interests or political considerations rather than long-term viable partnerships.
agreements with the west may appear strong, but they often contain unbalanced conditions that favor the more powerful party with little regard for the long-term impact on the weaker party. if these agreements are not consolidated, they will begin to unravel when circumstances change.
another reason is a lack of follow-up. once the ink is dry on many agreements with the west, the signatories walk away, thinking that signing is enough to maintain the agreement itself. however, without sustained effort, even the best intentions will fray and evaporate.
china sees the agreement as a lasting commitment. if necessary, china will not hesitate to apply more glue. after careful inspection, adjusting the terms, and seeing that the two sides are well connected, the resulting china-africa relationship is undoubtedly strong. (compiled by liu ziyan)
