One of the
themes in Peter Navarro’s book “Death by China” centers on Chinese investment
in Africa, which the author argues is an attempt of colonization.
China, of
course, exports a lot of commodities to Africa, including manufactured consumer
products catering to the needs of the expanding middle class there. But
contrary to Navarro’s claim of “China sharing none of the wealth and labor with
local populations,” China actually brings plenty of job opportunities to
Africa.
A shoe factory
opened in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa by a Chinese company called Huajian
Group employs a whopping 25,000 workers.
The shoes are
exported to China, Europe and the United States as well as being sold locally.
The plant also produces shoes for US brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Guess and
interestingly, Ivanka Trump’s eponymous shoe line.
What Navarro
fails to fathom is the fact that what is happening to Africa from China is
essentially the same as what happened to China from the United States some 20
to 30 years ago. Back then China was a good place for low-cost manufacturing
due to its cheap labor and large market.
Today, as
China’s Lewis turning point has passed, meaning labor migration from rural
areas to industrial production has become exhausted, companies will naturally
move onto the next frontline – that is Africa.
Historically,
manufacturing has moved from Europe to the US, from the US to Japan, South
Korea and other Asian tigers, and then from them to China. It is now moving
from China to Africa and some South and Southeast Asian countries.
In addition to
being blind to this New Economic Geography theory as an economist, Navarro has
an even more sinister theory about Chinese investment in Africa, which he calls
the “biggest dirty little secret about China’s colonial ambitions.” He claims
that “Beijing’s central planners also want to systemically export millions of
Chinese citizens to the ‘satellite states’ of Africa to reduce pressures on a
grossly overpopulated homeland.”
This is a
serious accusation. We Chinese do have a fairly large overseas diaspora due to
emigration over the years. People leave the country for various reasons. China
saw large waves of migration for adventures and seeking better economic
opportunities.
But accusing the
Chinese government of exporting its citizens is downright ignorant. I wonder
how much of the family separation policy targeting illegal immigrants arrested
on the southern US border has to do with Peter Navarro?
Executive editor/ Liang Chenglu
Editor/ Meng Han
Dr. John Gong is a research fellow at the Charhar Institute and a
professor at the University of International Business and Economics of China.
Source:CGTN,2018-8-20
Original Link: https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d414d34416a4e79457a6333566d54/share_p.html?from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0