The Erosion of Human Rights Through Chinese Investment in Africa
By Ross Stevens
October 2020
With the increasing expansion of Chinese economic and political pursuits across the world, Africa represents a critical market for Chinese goods and investments, yet these investments are not always innocent business ventures. The provision of aid and investment for authoritarian leaders across Africa acts to entrench authoritarian behaviours and undermine the pursuit of human rights.
Chinese Investment in Africa
From 2003-2014, Chinese FDI within Africa jumped from $500 million to $32 billion. Large Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) played a key part in the acquisition of natural resource contracts whilst commercial and state-owned banks frequently offered loans for the development of key infrastructure, such as the Kenyan port of Mombasa. The boons of this are clear; 15% of African infrastructure projects in 2015 were built through Chinese companies and funded by a variety of Chinese commercial and government-linked banks alongside multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, providing avenues for trade and domestic economic development.
Case Studies: The Entrenchment of Authoritarianism
Yet the drawbacks of this approach are seen as a result of the prioritisation of economic growth and the expansion of international markets over the preservation and development of human rights within African states. One such example is highlighted by The Middle Eastern Monitor and Osondu-Oti in Sudan, whereby despite the imprisonment of journalists, use of force against protestors and arbitrary arrests of civilians, China has committed aid in the form of $10 billion over a number of sectors irrespective of these high-profile human rights violations.
Another example is seen in Angola, whereby China has continued to play a large part in reconstructing the country following the 2002 civil war, investing as much as $60 billion since diplomatic ties were established. As the possessor of the lion’s share of Angola’s foreign debt and the predominant provider of loans, China is in a strong position to encourage positive change, but as seen in Sudan, this has not occurred despite noteworthy human rights violations in regards to ensuring access to clean water, arbitrary arrests, detention, and the use of torture.
What is key to note here, particularly in the case of Sudan, is that the maintenance of investment acts to entrench authoritarian behaviours by blunting the effectiveness of targeted economic sanctions and positive campaigning. By providing lucrative sources of income without requiring the establishment and maintenance of basic human rights, states like Sudan can continue to undermine human rights without fear of the economic implications of Western sanctions.
Additionally, China’s “See No Evil” approach to foreign investment cripples the positive actions of NGOs and the wider pursuit of human rights. This policy dictates that the domestic affairs of a nation are not the business of China. This is demonstrated clearly in Zimbabwe, whereby despite the arbitrary arrests of governmental critics and utilisation of lethal force against protestors in 2019, China continues to provide investments in areas such as infrastructural development and tobacco. This is despite nations such as the United States renewing targeted sanctions intended to encourage a halt to human rights violations.
Investment as a Human Rights Issue
The maintenance of investment acts to entrench authoritarian behaviours by blunting the effectiveness of targeted economic sanctions and positive campaigning. By providing lucrative sources of income without requiring the establishment of basic rights and protections, states such as Zimbabwe and Sudan can continue to undermine human rights without fear of the economic implications of Western sanctions.
Fundamentally, the sheer scale of Chinese involvement within Africa has created several barriers for human rights development; due to their increasingly intertwined relationships, African states have frequently supported China within the United Nations Human Rights Council; human rights proposals against China were defeated 11 times with Africa’s support. Additionally, the Chinese argument that 2nd generation human rights, such as access to water, food, shelter and development take precedence over 1st generation rights such as freedom of expression and the right to vote resonates with African leaders who are exhausted with decades of western-led economic reform.
Human Rights Into the Future
It is likely that these practices will continue and develop into the future. With recent developments in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, it is likely that China will continue to be undeterred by the human rights violations of Authoritarian African leaders. Yet despite these detrimental developments to human rights in Africa, the good work of NGOs and human rights campaigners continues across the continent undeterred by the threat of imprisonment and violence. Through the use of international political pressure, targeted economic sanctions, protest action and positive campaigning, the fight for the consolidation and development of human rights across Africa is a worthwhile one and will continue despite these detrimental developments.
References:
China and Africa: Human Rights Perspective. Adaora Osondu-Oti.
Human Rights Watch: Angola
Human Rights Watch: Sudan
Human Rights Watch: Zimbabwe
International Institute for Environment and Development Report: The China-Africa investment landscape, China-Africa investment treaties, do they work? Lorenzo Cotula, Xiaoxue Weng, Qianru Ma and Peng Ren
Middle East Monitor
The China-Africa Investment Landscape
© 2020 Climate Just Collective