Export more to China for balanced trade

A seminar jointly organised by the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, the Africa Policy Institute (API) and the Foreign Policy Advisory Council (FPAC) of China with emphasis on deepening China-Africa cooperation in industrialisation, infrastructure and private enterprise took place yesterday at Serena hotel in Nairobi.

Historical relations, infrastructure development, markets, entrepreneurship, friendship and shared visions between China and Africa featured prominently among the issues that were discussed.

Where traditionally African countries conducted trade with America and the West, Chinese influence in Africa has been felt over the last few years. China's entry into Africa followed a thawing of relations between Africa and the West over issues of governance and human rights. Where the West imposed conditions for doing business, China did not.

Indisputably, China is Africa's biggest trading partner with a trade volume of US $ 163.9 billion, up from US$1billion in 1980, but the scale is skewed in favour of China. There are more Chinese imports in Africa than there are African exports to China. China relies on extracting raw materials from Africa. Infrastructural development undertaken by the Chinese in most African countries has seen them import labour from China over local labour which, if utilised, would go a long way in alleviating the burden of unemployment.

Often, Chinese merchandise flooding local markets cannot measure up to that from the west in terms of quality. There are fears in some quarters China is using Africa as a dump site for cheap merchandise. It is in the area of these concerns that Afro –Chinese relationships should address themselves. Both partners must get something beneficial from such deals without one partner getting disadvantaged. African economies stand to benefit if China imported more goods from Africa than merely using it a s a market for its own goods.