DO WE UNDERSTAND THE TURKS OF CYPRUS ENOUGH?

Organizing an African summit is a matter of will, capacity and prestige, it is very demanding, and there are only a handful of countries that can afford it. The summits organized by Beijing are at the forefront in terms of content and spectacle. The 9th of these summits was held last week in the Chinese capital. 50 African countries, half of them heads of state and government, attended the grand event and held bilateral meetings with Xi Jinping. Started in 2000, the China-Africa summits have inspired many countries, including Turkey. In the aftermath of the last summit, as is customary, Western countries, in chorus, claimed that China was exploiting Africa and dragging it into debt.

China’s interest in Africa is permanent and the US’s is coincidental

China’s interest in Africa stems from its third-world principles in foreign policy. China believes that it is the leader of the global south and has set itself the goal of gaining the support of the entire continent of 54 countries. This political line does not change from one day to the next; leaders may change in Beijing, but their interest in the underdeveloped continent remains constant. The US interest in Africa depends on the leader and the ruling party; if there are Republicans in the White House, Africa is sidelined. Who doesn’t agree that if Trump wins the elections, Africa will fall off Washington’s radar? We have not forgotten that Trump did not visit Africa even once in his four years in office, and that he used abusive language against African leaders.

The West denigrates and belittles China’s activities in Africa

For China, Africa is both an economic and political playground. Beijing emphasizes at every opportunity that it attaches special importance to Africa. Every year, China’s foreign minister starts his overseas visits from Africa. In the years when its economy grew by 10 percent, its current account surplus and the Central Bank’s foreign exchange reserves were at record highs, Beijing, through Chinese contracting firms, carried out hundreds of gigantic infrastructure projects in Africa, both for its own benefit and for the benefit of the underprivileged sub-Saharan countries, which gained roads and railways, ports, oil pipelines, bridges, stadiums, convention centers and free/organized industrial zones. For some reason, these win-win investments are always underestimated or criticized in the western world.

China has trapped Africa in a debt trap: Both a lie and a falsehood

33 of the 46 least developed countries are African countries. In 20 countries of the continent, GNP is below 1000 dollars and in 11 countries below 2000 dollars. Since there is no capital accumulation in these countries, there is no option but to borrow for development. Why is it criticized that China, which has a current account surplus and dazzling foreign exchange reserves, offers huge contracting services to Africa with financing packages in exchange for raw materials? Answer: These criticisms are purely political and should not be taken into account. It is true that Africa is indebted to China, it is false that it is debt trapped by China. On the other hand, Chinese companies have come to the forefront not only in Africa but all over the world to get infrastructure projects and have become the most serious competitors of Turkish contracting companies.

Angola is indebted to both China and the West

Between 2012 and 2022, China will spend a total of $254 billion on infrastructure projects outside the country, 44 percent of which will go to Africa. According to Western criteria, 22 out of 54 countries on the continent are considered over-indebted. Angola ranks first in terms of debt to China, with $21 billion. The ranking continues with Ethiopia (7 billion), Kenya (7 billion), Zambia (6 billion), DRC (6 billion), Nigeria (5 billion) and other debtors. The total external debt of all African countries amounts to 700 billion dollars, of which 20 percent (135 billion) according to one source and 12 percent (84 billion) according to another is owed to China. Are these figures not proof that there is no China-made debt trap?

China will now produce solar panels and electric vehicles in Africa

China’s development rate has fallen to 5-6 percent due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the volume of debt/credit that China has directed to Africa in the last few years has also decreased significantly. Allocating 26 billion dollars to Africa in 2016, China was able to allocate only 1 billion dollars to the continent in 2022. When we look at the documents adopted at the 9th China-Africa summit held in Beijing last week, it is noticeable that China has changed its investment strategy towards Africa, the era of large infrastructure projects will come to an end, and green energy and high-tech product manufacturing will be prioritized from now on. According to the statement made by the Chinese leader, Beijing will allocate 50 billion dollars to Africa for the next 3 years, 30 billion of this amount will be in the form of loans/financing and 10 billion dollars will be realized through direct investment.

When Turkey builds roads in Africa, it is a source of pride; when China builds them, it is a joke

When we proudly talk about Turkey’s opening to Africa, which started 16 years ago, we emphasize that we are writing a success story by saying that “the trade volume is over 40 billion dollars and the value of the projects realized by our companies has exceeded 85 billion dollars”. When the Chinese state and its companies break records in trade, investment, credit/debt in the same lands, does this turn into a debt trap and exploitation? Let us not participate in and believe this smear campaign of the West. On the other hand, I believe that China’s new priorities in its Africa strategy will benefit Turkey. Chinese companies used to grab one out of every three major infrastructure projects in Africa. If the Chinese now focus on more advanced areas such as green energy, electric vehicles, telecommunication infrastructure, it means that we will be free from Chinese competition in major projects such as roads, ports and airports.

Sudan was able to export its oil thanks to China

Let me conclude by mentioning two gigantic projects carried out by China. In the years when the West, especially the US, was ganging up on Sudan, the Chinese laid a 1600 km pipeline to export oil from the oil fields, most of which are still within the borders of South Sudan, from the port of Port-Sudan via Khartoum. While no Western company was interested in this risky project at a time when hostility to dictator Omar al-Bashir was at its peak, China stood by Sudan and took the lead. Indeed, after the country split in two (2011) thanks to Western efforts, the pipelines could not be used regularly. Since April 2023, oil shipments through Sudan, which has been the scene of a war of armies since then, have reached a deadlock. In short, China has suffered serious losses from its investment in Sudanese oil pipelines.

Niger was able to export its oil thanks to China

The 1950 km oil pipeline to export Niger oil through Benin was built by China in 4 years (2019-2023). The agreement was that the cost would be paid in exchange for oil. When a coup took place in Niger before the project was completed, construction did not stop, work continued despite the military rule; at the end of 2023, the first tanker was ceremoniously launched from the port of Benin to transport Niger oil to China. In the spring of 2024, a senseless dispute arose between Niger and Benin, and Niger stopped oil shipments. It seems that China will also suffer serious losses from this huge investment. There are currently discussions about adding this network to the Chad-Cameroon pipeline by building a new 600 km long line. Had this project been carried out by a Western company, the construction would probably have been halted by the coup and could not have been completed. In short, let us criticize China for Africa, but let us also appreciate the great risks it is taking.

What should Europe do in the face of the migration problem?

Let me conclude this article by looking at the African continent and what China is doing here through a European lens. Leaving aside the Ukraine crisis, what concerns Europe the most is the irregular migration from Africa. This migration is likely to continue throughout the 21st century, as Africa’s population continues to grow contrary to the global trend (7 children per family in Niger). On the other hand, illegal migration is shaking Europe’s political balance, pushing voters further to the right of the spectrum, paving the way for populist leaders and weakening democracies. It has become imperative for European leaders to address the continent’s development challenge in depth in order to stop migration flows once and for all, not through palliative measures. Let us keep in mind that if Africa develops, illegal migration will end.

The US sees China’s activities in Africa in terms of world leadership and competition and naturally denigrates them. It would be a strategic mistake for Europe to view China’s activities through the US lens. What Europe should do is to act in cooperation with China, which is building roads, bridges and ports by lending and borrowing for the development of the continent. If they take Turkey with them in this direction, the growth and development graphs of the underdeveloped continent will rise rapidly. Europeans should not forget: African youth, who have lost hope, are not looking to China or the United States for salvation, but to the Mediterranean Sea in the direction of Europe.