Why Everyone Will Be Thinking About China at the Upcoming Japan-Africa Summit
54-countries and international organizations will convene at the end of August in Yokohama for the seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development or TICAD. While the event is ostensibly about Japanese engagement with Africa, a lot of attendees will likely have China on their minds during the two-day summit.
Japanese officials are already signaling that they intend to use this year’s TICAD to highlight how Tokyo’s approach to the continent differs significantly from that of Beijing’s. Specifically, they’ve indicated that the final communique will likely include an expression of “concern” about excessive debt levels in Africa, a not-so-subtle critique of Chinese lending practices in Africa, and there will also be a lot of talk about the supposed differences in quality between Japanese and Chinese construction in Africa.
“Japan’s trade with Africa, compared to China’s trade with Africa, is not only relatively small but it is even shrinking. It is a result of the acceleration of China’s engagement with Africa.” — Seifudein Adem, Professor at Doshisha University
DR Congo-native and Ritsumeikan University economics professor Jean-Claude Maswana will be among the speakers at next week’s event. One of the issues that he plans to address relates to the competing agendas of the various stakeholders at events like TICAD.
“Japan and China both have their respective national interests when it comes to Africa, he explains, “but what role do African leaders have in defining their own interests with rather than simply be a recipient of other countries’ agendas?”
Professor Maswana joins Eric to share his views on what to expect from this year’s TICAD summit and why China will likely figure so prominently in the discussions.
For readers/listeners in Mainland China who cannot access the video above, please click here to listen to the podcast.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject
Twitter: @eolander | @stadenesque | @JCMaswana
Email: [email protected] | [email protected]
Sign up here if you would like to join our weekly email newsletter mailing list for a carefully curated selection of the week's top China-Africa news: eepurl.com/dtNEij
--
5 年OUR Representative? use African resources for the benefit of Africa
太阳能行业 | 生产流程 与 供应链审计 | 上海
5 年Professor Maswana made the really important point that most African countries are going to the summit to listen -- rather than coming ready with proposals that fit their country's own development goals. He said that capacity, and frankly political will, is still insufficient to create such long term strategic plans. Its this kind of reactive rather than proactive approach that causes sustainability problems. He urged African governments to take agency in crafting their futures instead of waiting for the big lenders to do it for them. Very salient words by Dr. Maswana!? I guess the question stands than -- How can the governments build this capacity and what are the obstacles?? It seems that this is precisely the avenue for partnership with the US that many experts have suggested --- seizing on American strengths to consult African governments on deal making, capacity building, financial markets to optimize their partnerships with investors.
An Exploration Geophysicist, Teacher, Activist and a Father
5 年If the opportunities in energy and power sector is properly marketed by African leaders to international investors, the returns will be immense. Renewable energy will bring a boom to Africa and the pioneers in this sector will reap both the challenges and the benefits. Sun, wind, hydro and geothermal energy mix will drive growth and opportunities if put on the global investors table. Hope this conference yields the expectations Eric Olander 欧瑞克
Global media and communications. WHO, UNFPA, UNAIDS, BMGF/Avahan, CNN. Global health, HIV, human rights, equity, equality. Connecting the dots. Through the stories of our lives. The professional is personal.
5 年Will you be at TICAD? Our Executive Director is there too, discussing the upcoming ICPD25 Nairobi Summit, with the Kenyan President, etc.
Family Guy, African Industrialist, Venture and Ecosystem Builder
5 年Good food for thought