AFRICA'S POSITION IN THE US-CHINA TRADE WAR
WILL THE US-CHINA TRADE TENSION YIELD TO THE BIDEN EFFECT? HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS IN A Q&A FORMAT
1. Are you aware of China-US diplomatic tensions?
Yes – tensions started with Trade and have moved to realms such as Technology and Healthcare. A lot of the tension was stoked by Donald Trump's America First policy and the main motive being to reduce the offshoring of US jobs to China and tilt the balance of trade in favour of the US.
2. What, in your opinion, do you think are the immediate and remote causes of this tension?
The immediate cause is Trade. The remote cause is technology and jobs transfer to China as well as China’s rising profile in the world. The Coronavirus issue has also not helped matters. Donald Trump’s “America First” direction is to stem China’s growing influence and bring a lot of the outsourced and offshored jobs back to America. But this is more an insular rather than a collaborative position as what the US needs to do is to expand her trade influence across the world using a lot of incentives chief of which is trade and investments across critical geographies where they see opportunities and also drive tax incentives locally to attract more local investments. There are aspects of the Trump Administration's local policy that Joe Biden needs to retain and fine-tune especially in the area of taxation so as to continue to encourage local investments in the US.
3. In your opinion, how has the Nigerian media reported the strategic importance of the China-US tension in relation to the interest of the Nigerian state?
The Nigerian media is a mix of tendencies. While it traditionally aligns with America against China, it has lately become a bit anti-American given some of the maneuvers of President Trump and the stance of the Administration against the election of Nigerian born Akinwunmi Adeshina for a second term at the African Development Bank as well as the Trump administration's obstruction of the ascendancy of Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to the headship of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Be that as it may, I think there is likely to be a more friendly coverage for America in the Nigerian media as Joe Biden takes over in January 2021.
4. How would you describe the disposition of the Nigerian media to the reportage of China-US tension based on Nigeria’s/Africa’s strategic diplomatic interest?
Nigeria, like most African Countries, is a pawn in the high-wire chess game between America and China. I however think that there is still an anti-China tilt given the influence of the American news-source on media reportage in Nigeria.
5. What is the perspective of the Nigerian media in their reportage of China-US tension?
The largely held opinion is that China is being unethical and not fully aligning with WTO rules on Trade. There are however a host of anti-Trump people in Nigeria who see America’s Trade war with China as counterproductive.
6. What issues are given prominence in the Nigerian media’s reportage of China-US relations?
Of recent, Technology issues are over-taking Trade conversations with subjects such as 5G, t Zoom, and Tik-Tok platforms dominating conversations in the US-China tension conversations.
Of recent, Technology issues are over-taking Trade conversations with subjects such as 5G, t Zoom, and Tik-Tok platforms dominating conversations in the US-China tension conversations.
7. What should be the disposition of the Nigerian media in their reportage of China-US tensions?
Nigeria should have no dog-in-the-fight as both super-powers have their value. China is doing a lot for Nigeria in the area of Infrastructure Development and Trade, while America really contributes a lot in the area of civil rights, Democracy, and Governance.
8. Are there implications, if any, for Africa as a result of the China-US tension?
Of course, there are implications. The US move against Nigeria’s Akinwunmi Adeshina at the African Development Bank is consequent upon his supposed support for China’s foray into Africa. And the refusal to allow Okonjo-Iweala pull through as a consensus candidate for the WTO job also has a lot to do with Trump's bid to use Korea as a counter-force in the fight against China, but all that is set to change as Joe Biden takes over, we are likely to see a relaxed stance on critical trade issues as a compromise, rather than hardline positions begin to prevail.
9. What are the opportunities for Africa in the wake of the China-US tension?
Africa needs to position itself as the beautiful bride ready to court any side that offers it the best deal.
10. To what extent does the issue(s) that led to the China-US tension affect the China-Africa relations?
There will continue to be ripples of the tension between both super-powers in Africa because Africa is the last growth frontier of the world, with over a billion people representing a huge catchment for new possibilities - warehousing more than 25% of global natural resources and available arable land with prospects for trade, infrastructure development, and technical partnerships.
11. Should Nigeria/Africa be bothered about China-US tension? And why?
I do not think we should be overly bothered; at least for now. The atmosphere does offer some challenges, but it is none-the-less an opportunity to get better bargains out of either side. I would imagine that the greater challenge will be about both powers uniting in their forays in Africa rather than disagreeing. So, my conclusion is that the disagreement offers Africa an opportunity to get a better deal from either or both sides.
12. What are your general impressions about the China-Africa tension and its implication for China-Africa relations?
This question is ambiguous as the tension is more between both powers rather than with Africa. Africa may be caught in the middle, but it needs to avoid taking sides. Africa should however seek to have pragmatic deals with both sides which are non-exclusive rather than having non-competitive deals. But the best route for Africa is to seek to develop itself and become the next global trade bloc that cannot be ignored by both sides.