Chinese in Africa; time to look beyond figures

In South Africa's city of Cape Town, there are two China towns.

One of them is at the Sable Square, located just behind the Canal Walk. Here, you can buy almost anything you need under the sun, at prices ranging from low to exorbitant.

Other facilities in this space include bars, restaurants and ambient venues for art events and lively music gigs, to keep the place warm.

When I visited the coastal city last month, this is one of the options that a just-married South African couple highly recommended, for quick shopping.

Earlier in Johannesburg, I sat and listened to bittersweet stories about Chinese this, Chinese that in relation to their role in the city's cultural interactions.

One of the stories stretched far back, giving insights into the place of the Chinese who arrived in South Africa as cheap labour for the British colonialists some centuries ago. Some are bland facts, others are amusing.

In the city, they refer to friends as my China. "How are you my China," you will be greeted.

This sounded weird until it was explained. During historical times, the British immigrants played with their cockney rhyming slang, popularising idea of a China plate to express the concept my mate. But that is not all on the China plates in Jo'Burg, the city that hosts one the biggest Chinese communities in the continent.

In more recent times, the Chinese story keeps growing, with last year's outbursts by retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu against Chinese influence on South Africa's foreign policy adding to the long list. This was after Tibetans spiritual leader Dalai Lama was denied visa to travel to the country to join him during his birthday celebrations.

Size matters

And the Chinese story did not end with Dalai Lama's troubles. The other one that came from South Africa last year had something to do with Chinese condoms: they were too small for South African men and judges had to come in to adjudicate between a South African company and a Chinese one.

On the other side of African, a story featuring China in Sudan is reeling on.

Only last week,. South Sudan President Salva Kiir travelled to Beijing, where he secured a $8 billion funding for infrastructure development.

Coming at a time when his country was embroiled in a dispute with a neighbour over resources and infrastructure, the Chinese promise could be a big boost to Juba, especially if it would sort out the oil transportation nightmare that has seen South Sudan close oil taps, for some months after accusing Khartoum of stealing the resource.

In Kenya, just as is in Guinea which was one of the first independent African countries to receive a boost from China, Beijing is active in different sectors.

It is this involvement, among other factors, that was used by the opponents of Rupiah Banda to oust him from Zambia's leadership.

Clearly, what W.H. Auden thought was otherworldly is here; China and Africa met, the river has jumped over the mountain, and the salmon is singing in the street.

And recent figures are looking good for Africa. Up to 13.8 per cent of Chinese foreign investment were made in sub-Saharan Africa. That is between 2005 and 2010 compared to 8.9 per cent in the US and 13.4 per cent in Europe.

Impressive figures to play around with, but one thing that is yet to grow is the Dragon's involvement in the continent's strategic activities.

If the two Sudans were at war, and Beijing was in business with the two, then there would be need to calm the them, for mutual interests without disregarding sovereignty issues.

That doesn't mean that Africa should just sit and wait for solutions or does it ?

Email: mmicheni@ke.nationmedia.com; Twitter: wamicheni