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OPINION

Steven Akabwayi

By Steven Akabwayi

During my high school years, music wasn't just an entertainment to me ,it was the air I breathed, I had a taste for different music genres but more remarkably, I held Bob Marley’s Reggae  and Pharrell William’s RnB so dearly.

Bob and Pharell’s hits were not just a mere sound to me but a gateway to my discovery and a  map to the world, one of the music lyrics that got ingrained in my mind were from Pharrell Williams an American award-winning singer,  songwriter, and producer with his hit song titled” get lucky”.

It appears to me China and Africa are dancing to my favorite song’s rhythm  “Get Lucky” given their current state relations commonly referred to as “win-win relations”.

In his “Get Lucky” song Pharrell sings “We have come so far, to give up who we are so let's raise the bar and our cups to the sky”.

Indeed China and Africa have come so far to give up their relations and like the song lyrics further go, I feel like this is the time for the two of them to raise their bar and cups to the skies given their significant achievements through the reciprocated relations they have had.

The two civilizations ( China and Africa)  have a long-standing history that cannot be easily undermined despite the attempts by external forces.  contrary to what many assume that China and Africa relations date only a few decades ago, there is supporting evidence that suggests contact between the two dates back to 202 BC to 220AD Han dynasty.

During the Han dynasty, this was the period when trade flourished between China and Africa along the Silk Road through the exchange of Chinese ceramics, textiles, and spices among others with Africa offering ivory, rhinoceros horn, and precious metals. This trade continued to flourish even in the era when China got caught up in its internal conflicts whereas  Africa was limited by its internal political landscape.

Despite this upheaval, the interaction between the two civilizations was being conducted indirectly through Arabs and Indians that mostly resided at the coastal towns of East Africa.

In the 20th century as President Museveni often reminds the “the Bazzukulu” the acronym for the young generation, China actively supported Africa’s struggle for independence strengthening their ties against Western imperialism which explains their inherent unity against Western imperialists.

This also signifies that the relations between the two are highly solidified and hard to undermine, this can be observed r through the mutual support China and Africa have ascribed to each other, especially on a global stage such as the UN.

It should be noted that Chinese ascendancy to the UN was due to Africa’s backup and the two have cooperated on peacekeeping missions and initiatives aimed at promoting stability and security on the continent.

One of the arguments fronted by the Western scholars which I consider unfounded is that China is self-centered and inconsiderate citing that China wins all major contracts in Africa Outcompeting African domestic engineering firms. In  my counterargument I always remind them that “ as the West is sending troops in Africa, China is sending engineers”.

Among the major reasons Chinese engineering firms are awarded contracts in Africa is due to China’s long history of civilization and the top-notch expert evidenced in building long-lasting infrastructure such as the Great Wall of China built from 3rd BC to 17th century AD, Canton Tower 604 m tall multipurpose tower in Guangzhou province, Macau bridge among others.

On the other hand, Africa has a vast infrastructure deficit requiring extensive construction Chinese companies come in to fill the gap with low-cost alternatives to European companies and higher quality work than most African-owned companies.

While speaking at the Sino-Uganda cooperation symposium themed “The Harmony of Civilization and Responsibilities for a Better World”,  Timothy Kersewell a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Shenzhen referred to the recent sanctions by the Biden administration on Uganda as abnormal further questioning the western regard of what  constitute a sovereign state.

Much as I sympathize with every marginalized individual or group in whichever part of the world he or she inhabits, I also strongly agree with Professor Timothy as it has always left me with so many questions answered on the procedures and mechanisms the US follows when it decides to play the sanction card.

Theoretically, the West regards itself as a custodian of international law yet these unlawful sanctions undermine its credibility in that regard.

International law upholds the principle of sovereignty without any classification of teacher-student kind of relationship which hegemonic countries want to impose when they interfere in other sovereign country’s internal affairs.

Over time US has been using sanctions as a tool Of punishment with whoever violates their ideals although the effectiveness of the sanctions towards achieving their intended goals can be debated.

Steven Akabwayi is a Research fellow at Sino-Uganda research centre