Standing on what was once Ethiopia’s oldest maximum security prison, the new African Union (AU) headquarters funded by China is a symbol of Beijing’s push to stay ahead in Africa and gain greater access to the continent’s resources.
Critics point to an imbalance in what they see as the new “scramble for Africa.” However, the prospect of growing Chinese economic influence is welcomed by many African leaders, who see Beijing as a partner to help build their economies at a time when Europe and the US are mired in economic turmoil.
“The future prospects of our partnership are even brighter,” Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Saturday at the new headquarters, where an African heads of states’ summit was scheduled to take place yesterday and today.
“China — its amazing re--emergence and its commitments for a win-win partnership with Africa — is one of the reasons for the beginning of the African renaissance,” he said.
The brown marble and glass monolith was fully paid for by China, right down to the office furniture, and cost US$200 million. The office complex and almost 100m tower is Addis Ababa’s tallest building by far.
For the past decade, Africa has recorded average annual economic growth of about 5 percent, but its under--developed infrastructure has in part hindered its capacity to develop further.
Chinese companies are changing that. They are building roads and investing in the energy sector, and are active in areas such as telecoms technology.
Senior Chinese Communist Party leader Jia Qinglin (賈慶林) said trade between the two partners had grown to US$150 billion, and the unveiling of the headquarters was a “milestone” in the ties between China and Africa.
As the biggest consumer of iron-ore, China has a relentless hunger for African minerals and energy.
Beijing now appears keener to flex its diplomatic muscle in the continent. It has also contributed US$4.5 million for the African Union peacekeeping force battling Islamist militants in Somalia.
Outside the complex, hundreds of Chinese support staff, delegates and officials snapped pictures of their country’s most ostentatious presence yet in Africa.
Critics point to land grabs and mistreatment of African workers on Chinese-funded projects. Even when it comes to job opportunities, in some instances China brings in teams of workers and technical experts.
Despite such complaints, African officials insist they are not being manipulated by China, and say the relationship is not based on aid, but on trade and development.
“There are people who still consider Africans like children who can be easily manipulated. The good thing about this partnership is that it is give and take,” Democratic Republic of the Congo Ambassador to Washington Faida Mitifu said.
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