C.E. - Chinese Entrepreneurs Flourish in Africa

[Gregory Hewett]

August 18, 2007
New Power in Africa
Chinese Entrepreneurs Flourish in Africa
By HOWARD W. FRENCH and LYDIA POLGREEN

LILONGWE, Malawi — When Yang Jie left home at 18, he was doing what people from China’s hardscrabble Fujian Province have done for generations: emigrating in search of a better living overseas.

What set him apart was his destination. Instead of the traditional adopted homelands like the United States and Europe, where Fujian people have settled by the hundreds of thousands, he chose this small, landlocked country in southern Africa.

“Before I left China,” said Mr. Yang, now 25, “I thought Africa was all one big desert.” So he figured that ice cream would be in high demand, and with money pooled from relatives and friends, he created his own factory at the edge of Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital. The climate is in fact subtropical, but that has not stopped his ice cream company from becoming the country’s biggest.

Stories like this have become legion across Africa in the past five years or so, as hundreds of thousands of Chinese have discovered the continent, setting off to do business in a part of the world that had been terra incognita. The Xinhua News Agency recently estimated that at least 750,000 Chinese were working or living for extended periods on the continent, a reflection of deepening economic ties between China and Africa that reached $55 billion in trade in 2006, compared with less than $10 million a generation earlier.

Even when Mr. Yang arrived here in 2001, he said, he could go weeks without encountering another traveler from his homeland. But as surely as his investments in the country have prospered, he said, an increasingly large community of Chinese migrants has taken root, and now runs everything from small factories to health care clinics and trading companies.

During the previous wave of Chinese interest in Africa in the 1960s and ’70s, an era of radical socialism and proclaimed third-world solidarity, European and American companies held sway over economies in most of the continent. Here and there, though, the Chinese made their presence felt, often in drably dressed, state-run work brigades that built stadiums, railroads and highways, crushing rocks and doing other labor by hand.

Today, in many of the countries where the new Chinese emigrants have settled, like Chad, Chinese-owned pharmacies, massage parlors and restaurants serving a variety of regional Chinese cuisines can be found; the Western presence, once dominant, has steadily dwindled, and essentially consists nowadays of relief experts working international agencies or oil workers, living behind high walls in heavily guarded enclaves.

At first, this new Chinese exodus was driven largely by word of mouth, as pioneers like Mr. Yang relayed news back home of abundant opportunities in a part of the world where many economies lie undeveloped or in ruins, and where even in the richer countries many things taken for granted in the developed world await builders and investors.

Conditions like these often deter Western investors, but for many budding Chinese entrepreneurs, Africa’s emerging economies are inviting precisely because they seem small and accessible. Competition is often weak or nonexistent, and for African customers, the low price of many Chinese goods and services make them more affordable than their Western counterparts.

Chinese Expansion

You Xianwen sold his pipe-laying business in Chengdu, in southwest China, this year to move to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, to join a startup company with a Chinese partner he had met only online. “Back where I come from we are pretty independent people,” Mr. You, 55, said. “My brothers and sisters all supported my decision to come here. In fact, they say that if things really work out for me, they would like to move to Africa, too.”

Mr. You said he had considered other African countries before settling on Ethiopia, including Zambia. “Luckily I didn’t decide to go there,” he said, explaining that he had been frightened by the recent anti-Chinese protests in that country.

His new business, ABC Bioenergy, builds devices that generate combustible gas from ordinary refuse, providing what Mr. You said would be an affordable alternative source of energy in a country where electricity supplies are erratic and prices high.

Mr. You’s partner here, Mei Haijun, first came to Ethiopia a decade ago to work at a Chinese-built textile factory and has since married an Ethiopian woman, with whom he has a child. “When I first came here you could go two months without seeing another Chinese person,” he said. “But it is a different era now. There’s a flight to China every day.”

The pickup in air traffic between China and countries like Ethiopia now has Chinese companies scrambling to add new routes, as the Chinese government and big Chinese companies increase their stake in Africa.

Much of that activity reflects an intense appetite for African oil and mineral resources needed to fuel China’s manufacturing sector, but big Chinese companies have quickly become formidable competitors in other sectors as well, particularly for big-ticket public works contracts. China is building major new railroad lines in Nigeria and Angola, large dams in Sudan, airports in several countries and new roads, it seems, almost everywhere.

One of the largest road builders, China Road and Bridge Construction, has picked up where the solidarity brigades of an earlier generation left off. The company, which is owned by the Chinese government, has 29 projects in Africa, many financed by the World Bank or other lenders, and it maintains offices in 22 African countries.

On a recent Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa to Beijing brimming with Chinese contractors, workers from Road and Bridge and other companies swapped notes on the grab bag of countries they work in, and debated about the difficulties of learning Portuguese and French in places like Mozambique and Ivory Coast.

Africans view the influx of Chinese with a mix of anticipation and dread. Business leaders in Chad, a central African nation with deepening oil ties to China, are bracing for what they suspect will be an army of Chinese workers and investors.

“We expect a large influx of at least 40,000 Chinese in the coming years,” said Renaud Dinguemnaial, director of Chad’s Chamber of Commerce. “This massive arrival could be a plus for the economy, but we are also worried. When they arrive, will they bring their own workers, stay in their own houses, send all their money home?”

In Zambia, where anti-Chinese sentiment has been building for several years, merchants at the central market in Lusaka, the capital, said that if Chinese people wanted to come to Africa, they should come as investors, building factories, not as petty traders who compete for already scarce customers for bottom-dollar items like flip-flops and T-shirts.

“The Chinese claim to come here as investors, but they are trading just like us,” said Dorothy Mainga, who sells knockoff Puma sneakers and Harley Davidson T-shirts in the Kamwala Market in Lusaka. “They are selling the same things we are selling at cheap prices. We pay duty and tax, but they use their connections to avoid paying tax.”

Although Chinese oil workers have been kidnapped in Nigeria and in Ethiopia, where nine were killed by an armed separatist movement in May, the growing Chinese presence around the continent has produced few serious incidents.

Misunderstandings are common, however, and resentments inevitably arise. Africans in many countries complain that Chinese workers occupy jobs that locals are either qualified for or could be easily trained to do. “We are happy to have the Chinese here,” said Dennis Phiri, 21, a Malawian university student who is studying to become an engineer. “The problem with the Chinese companies is that they reserve all the good jobs for their own people. Africans are only hired in menial roles.”

Another frequent criticism is that the Chinese are clannish, sticking among themselves day and night.

In Addis Ababa, in what is a typical arrangement for most large companies, the 200 Chinese workers for the Road and Bridge Corporation live in a communal compound, eating food prepared by cooks brought from China and receiving basic health care from a Chinese doctor.

“After a day off you wonder what you’re doing here, so we like to keep working,” said Cheng Qian, the country manager for the road-building company in Ethiopia. He added that his family had never visited him during several years of work here.

African Ambivalence

Sometimes, the Chinese approach has created serious frictions with African workers. At a leading hotel here in Lilongwe, breakfast guests stared as an agitated Chinese traveling salesman, sweating profusely, screamed at his staff minutes before his pitch on nutritional supplements was set to begin.

“You say it is not your fault, but the way you are doing things is just stupid, stupid,” the man sputtered before a clutch of African assistants, who looked humiliated. “You people are unbelievable.”

When the salesman finally left the room, members of the restaurant staff gathered near the door and vented their disgust. “We don’t need people like that to come here and colonize us again,” one said.

After nearly seven years in Malawi, Yang Jie, the ice cream maker, seems to have learned better. Greeting his workers at the ice cream factory, he begins the day by asking, “How did you sleep last night?”

One quickly replied, “Very well,” sounding a bit formal.

“Don’t tell me a lie,” Mr. Yang answered with a sly, friendly smile. “It’s O.K. to tell me your worries.”

Howard W. French reported from Lilongwe and from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Lydia Polgreen from Lusaka, Zambia, and Dakar, Senegal.

[miriam]

This article is about Chinese workers coming to Africa in order to earn money. It describes extremely well how the ‘budding Chinese entrepreneurs’ manage to make a living for themselves in a country where the conditions ‘often deter Western investors’. Although the Chinese immigrants have achieved in building up businesses, they have still not reached acceptance everywhere in Africa, for example there were ‘anti-Chinese protests’ in Zambia recently.

Why would the Chinese come to Africa in the first place?
The first reason is that the Western Investors are deterred by the fact that ‘many economies lie undeveloped or in ruins’. This gives the Chinese a head start as they have got less or none competition. At the same time the Chinese obviously find it easier to adapt to these circumstances.

All over the world foreigners from the same countries often group together at the beginning, hoping to get a feeling of home, of safety or just simply to get to know the country they just moved to. However in Africa this ‘grouping’ has become so extreme that ‘the 200 Chinese workers for the Road and Bridge Corporation’ for example ‘live in a communal compound, eating food prepared by cooks brought from China and receiving basic health care from a Chinese doctor’. The Chinese in Ethiopia have apparently become ‘clannish, sticking among themselves day and night.’ If this should continue and the Chinese don’t start making drastic changes concerning their communication with the rest of Africa the demonstration against as well as the disliking of the unsocial Chinese might also continue.
Integration is an extremely important part of any relocation. To become accustomed with the way of life, the way of thinking as well as the traditions of the host country will prevent that misunderstandings become ‘common and resentments inevitably arise.’

However if they should fail to become integrated into the community what could be the long-term result, can a business continue to flourish without the host communities support, would the resentments grow and if would the Africans resort to actions worse than demonstrations!?!

From my point of view it is always better to have friends than enemies, even in business. The Chinese would be well advised to at LEAST consider giving the Africans a chance for higher paid jobs by training the ones that need it and by stopping to hire only Chinese per default.
I am sure it is a difficult decision to leave your home country and try to establish a new business, life in a country you don’t know. It takes a lot of courage, money as well as energy to make this work. With just a little more effort and consideration they might be able to achieve a prosperous relationship with their host country, Africa.

[rahel]

My opinion about this article is that the Chinese are trying to help the Africans in not dieing of hunger or some way like that but at the same time they are also trying to make their own families happy who are still back in China living under circumstances which are not very pleasing to them. What i like about the Chinese is that i feel they are trying to help the africans in finding their way of living. But in oder of that the Chinese should share the jobs and make it equal to both sides so that people from Africa earn money through working in the shops and factories aswell as people from China to.

Yes i do understand that the Africans are scared that the Chinese might be harmful but I think if the Africans get use to the fact that the Chinese are only trying to help it might actually work out well. China is a developed country and so the things that are sold their are very expensive peolple who are on the poor side in China and cannot afford their living in China gather enough money and move to Africa because it is cheaper their and they can earn more money if they open factories. Even by only selling things which for Europeans or Americans may seem small or not important for Africans though they are always happy with the things they get and try to appreciate them. By selling the basics like ice cream or bread the chinese still earn quite some money from that because the Africans are always in need of them and since the Chinese made things are cheap and have no taxes they are even more populare towards the people. Chinese sell basics which are affordeble not only to the rich but mostly to the poor or people who are suffering from less money. The people from China opening these factories in Africa were poor people to back in China so they know what it feels like being poor and not being able to afford food so what i think is that they are not trying to give the rich food but they are helping the poor gain back there hope that their life is not jet over but has just started. By gaining back hope they will realize to be proud of their country and contribute to making it a developed country.

At the end of the article it seems to me that some of the Chinese are willing to make a better relationship towards the Africans. If the Africans would say yes to this relationship then their would be come good projects coming up which would help people in Africa aswell as China. That fits to the maxim 'two flies got in one hit what more do you want?'. If you give the Africans more time to realize that the Chinese are only their to help and are not their for a fight then it would work out. If both the countries would put a little more effort in letting the relationship work then their would be somemore intresting news coming up towards this topic. I hope everything goes well for both countries and that they will be happy!!
Good luck....

[yulli]

This article is basically about a large influx of Chinese entrepreneurs coming to various countries in Africa for their businesses. According to the article, people in Africa, for example countries like Chad and Malawi could not meet that much of Chinese people in Africa for past 5 years but nowadays, there¡¯s a large in number of Chinese settling down in most parts of Africa. They call themselves as investors but they trade just like Africans, selling same items in a low price. Nowadays in the African continent, people see a lot more of Chinese products, factories, and business centers than Western products or shops. This huge influx can be a plus to African¡¯s economy, however, they are also extremely concerned because most of the Chinese people don¡¯t simply come as investors but taking money they earned to their own country and bring workers for the factories from China. Thus, many Africans view them as clannish because they receive foods made by cooks from China and get their health checked by a Chinese doctor. Most importantly, some of the entrepreneurs act very harshly on African workers, saying that they are untrustworthy. They usually save big, significant jobs for Chinese and hire Africans for only manual work. Eventually, this problem can affect on African nations seriously.

Well, I have a great interest in countries like China and Japan because they are very much close to Korea and in the past histories; we three nations were sometimes enemies and friends. According to my basic knowledge about China, Chinese are very clannish and group-working people; they value their own people the most. So I think that this current event may have serious affects on African workers, for example losing their jobs because Chinese people claim all the works. The fact that China is not fully developed nor underdeveloped, it¡¯s kind of in between, many people of China want to venture out to the overseas to get better life. So I think that these facts caused them to all look at Africa, the new land and start their business in there to become more successful than in China.

In my opinion, I agree with African workers¡¯ point of view because it is obvious that many of them will loss their jobs and Chinese will all colonize the continent of Africa like the Europeans did in the past. And it seems like Africans aren¡¯t that pleased to see so many Chinese entrepreneurs in their countries. They disturb African countries to grow up by themselves and I think that most of them come to Africa for their own greed. Although some people think that this huge influx of Chinese will bring such a drastic change to African nations' economies, but since they come to Africa to get better living and earn more money for themselves and their country, China, i don't see how it can work out in a positive way for Africans. Thus, I totally agree with people of Africa that it will be very welcoming if Chinese people come as investors but their goals aren¡¯t that. So in my opinion, the governments of African nations should do something to stop more Chinese to come and take over the whole country. And I feel kind of bad for African laborers and workers because anyways they are poor and lack a necessities of life and this incident made their living far worse than it already had been.

Because of African workers¡¯ hatred towards the Chinese, a big revolution or fighting might take place between Africans and the Chinese entrepreneurs because they don¡¯t agree and compromise to each other¡¯s opinions. It simply seems that the Chinese are being selfish. Why are too much of them coming to Africa? They can even go to other lands such as Taiwan and Philippines to expand their businesses. And why do they obstinate of using Chinese workers only? I think that as investors or businessmen, coming to Africa, they should at least tread people with respect and kindness. From the article, except for this guy named Mr.Yang, other entrepreneurs from China seem to treat African workers with inappropriate manner.

In further research relating to this incident, I found an article similar to this article. It is called ¡°China, Filling a Void, Drills for Riches in Chad¡° and this article is basically about the Chinese businessmen in Chad, raising Western concerns. Like in this article, various nations which the Chinese came in such a large numbers are Chad, Malawi, Ethiopia etc.. But this one is mainly all about Chinese people that are coming to Chad. You can go to the NewYorktime.com for more information on it.

[sohee]

This article is about hundreds of thousands of Chinese is setting off to do business in Africa to earn more money and for their success. Lots of Fujian people have settled in southern Africa such as Chad. What Chinese are operating is some small scale factories and medical institutions in whole parts of Africa.

There are three reasons why Chinese have chosen Africa for their business. First of all, they want to get oil and mineral resources from Africa to fuel China¡¯s manufacturing sector because China is lacking of oil and mineral resources. Second of all, they believe that Africa is a hopeful continent although Africa is an undeveloped continent. They are sure that Africa has a chance to develop and they think they can make them to be developed. Third of all, the western countries have already come to Africa and they just took their profit from Africa so Africans don¡¯t believe them more. So China decided to go to Africa and help poor Africans, help them to develop, make them to believe in Chinese, and get their profits.

After China settled in Africa for their business, lots of new routes have been made such as air traffic, or the railroad. And China companies and the government are increasing their stake in Africa. But there are some problems between Chinese and Africans which is ¡®Africans ambivalence¡¯. Sometimes, the Chinese approach has created serious frictions with African workers maybe because Africans think China is stealing their resources just like the western countries. Therefore the most important thing for China to success in Africa is Chinese have to be friends with Africans.

In my opinion, I can understand Africans. They might think China is stealing their resources. Hence, if Africans don¡¯t believe Chinese, then there will be serious problems to Chinese business and Chinese business will not succeed in Africa. So what the solution that I think is Chinese have to try more to be friend with Africans and make them to be believed Chinese although that is not an easy thing to do. If they make Africans to believe in Chinese, then Chinese could make a business with Africans and if that keeps continuing, I believe that Africa can be a developing continent.

[jayanth23]

I found this article very interesting, as I have never heard of Chinese people working in Africa in such large numbers. This just shows how the world is becoming a smaller place. Tagging along with the positive side to this is the down side. In a way it is possible to say that this was the similar situation in India some 200 years ago. The British started to take over the economy of India and thus taking over it.

Expanding this statement, Dorothy Mainga a sales men of foreign goods says that the African salesmen have to pay duty and tax whereas the Chinese with their connections avoid paying taxes. The African people are therefore losing money because of the cheaper price put up by the Chinese. The British did the same thing in India as well. The British merchants had machine made tax-free goods and thus running the Indian merchants out of business.

Another similarity comes from a student studying in a Malawian university Dennis Phiri. He said that he was happy to have the Chinese here. The problem was that the Chinese companies reserved jobs for their own people and hired Africans only for minor jobs. This brings down the status of the Africans and bringing into play racism. This is similar to the situation India where the high posts of the government and companies were restricted to the British. This meant that the Indians could not prosper. I’m surprised that the UN has not looked into this matter considering it is all over the news.

I don’t think the Chinese will colonize countries in Africa but I strongly feel that China will play a huge role in the development of many of its countries. Many African countries will depend on its expertise and will remain highly influenced by China in the many years to come.

[sam]

[glow=red,2,300]I find this article very interesting seeing as it is not something you would think about happening in such a remote part of the world such as Africa. But it is true that you see these things happening throughout history and affecting the economy of various nations.

However, this can have a negative affect on the native African people and the economy as well as positive one. African people may start to find that it is harder to find jobs, and even if they are getting certain products that they may not have been able to get previously, people trying to run a store or business are going to find stiffer competition with the Chinese people. Often, as you see in the article, Chinese people prefer to hire other Chinese people, and that obviously promotes conflicts.

But there are more advantages than disadvantages. African people will benefit from the technology of the Chinese, and they will be introduced to new products, and some will find jobs with the more open-minded of the Chinese employers. Less developed and more remote parts of Africa will modernize thanks to the products of Chinese immigrants, and the population will rise and Chinese influences will be seen in the future. And as long as these two cultures can live in peace and resolve their differences, all will be fine.

The benefits of this large Chinese influence will aid the economy of Africa, and hopefully the suspected disadvantages will be resolved. Then this could be a great advantage to Africa. As it is a developing nation, this could very well help it catch up somewhat to more fortunate countries, and the economy could benefit greatly.[/glow]

[rikke]

My opinion about this article is that I think Chinese guy Yang Jie had a good point of view to the things that where happing. He was one of the first there moved to Africa of the Chinese people, and he started his own company. First of all, he chose Africa instead of Europe and United States where so many others chose to go to. And even though the climax changed where he was with his ice cream company, he didn’t stop, and that a man who knows what he wants.
Later on there is a lot of Chinese people in Africa, and in the beginning they are kind to them, but later on it’s the Chinese people there have to have the best, included the best jobs. That the Africans people couldn’t take anymore. And they stopped liking the Chinese people. But Yang Jie he was not like the other Chinese people, he actually wanted to help them, and he also did. That I think meant a lot to the Africans people there were around him. So I think he did a really good job with moving to Africa instead of United States and Europe.

A brief summery:
This article is about a man who moves from China to Africa, opens a company there shells ice cream, but even more about the Chinese people coming to do business, and to help the African people.
Yang Jie the man was one of the first people from Chine there moved to Africa, but later a lot of people from China came to Africa. The Chinese people helped Africans a lot, they build stuff like railroads, highways, stadiums, and they also started doing labor by their hand.
Later on the Africans people relaxed that the Chinese people were the one there had all the best, best jobs and so on, and that didn’t the Africans people like, to be controlled by China like that. So The stopped liking them, because it wasn’t fair that it only was the Chinese people there could have the best, we were aloud to have it to. But the man Yang Jie was one their came to help also, and he did. And in the end you can also see how kindly he is talking to the Africans and saying that you can tell me your worries (and thinking I will help you).


This event is maybe similar to a lot of others, because many people from one country come over to another country. Sometimes they started something up as China did, and other time they just live there under the country moves to rules. The countries there do/ did like China did, maybe came to help the developing country with there problems to get food, living or other stuff. And the people there just move to another country can be the people there don’t like their own country anymore, like people from China didn’t like there own country that much (like the boy said he didn’t).

Facts of the current event:
- Instead of United States or Europe Yang Jie chose Africa , a small country in Africa
- He created his own factory there made ice cream. (a company)
- Chinese people came to Africa (more people)
- China + Africa reached 55 billion dollars in the trade 2006
- Even though the climax changed Yang Jie didn’t give up on his company.
- China build stuff like railroads, highways, stadiums and other kind of stuff in Africa.
- Many thing taken for granted in the developing world, like buildings and investors.
- China build companies in Africa
- Companies there were owned by the Chinese government were 29 projects in Africa, financed in the world bank + other lenders, and offices in 22 of Africans countries.
- African people relaxed that the Chinese people always had the best, and the African people had less. They didn’t like that, because it was there country, and they were as good as them also. They could also have the best.
- They stopped trusting the Chinese.
- Yang Jie was one of the people the Africans could trust, he wanted to help them.

Questions:
Why Africa, and not another part of Asia?
Why did Yang Jie still keep his company when the climax changed and he knew he wouldn’t earn that much money on it anymore?
A big question would be why did the Chinese make them have all the best, and the Africans to have less than them self?
Why did the people from China even move away from the country were there problems in China, or was it just people they wanted to helped another country?!

Maybe after this people will start listen to Yang Jie, and start have respect fro him, because he really wanted to help the Africans, and make a different. And later on he might even help the Chinese to have the people in Africa’s respect again. That’s what I think maybe will happened.
Another idea is that maybe the Chinese will go back to China instead of helping them, or even that they didn’t care about them and stayed and got the control. (But that would be kind off mean though, but many people in this world don’t care what there is around them, and if people don’t fell every well. Just take India where we life. People outside our door are poor and maybe need some help, there are so many people there could live with what we trough away, but we don’t even think about it. Well there is also many people there do think about it, and I think that is could, we should really think about other people in this world not only our self.

So think China in away helped Africa a lot, with all the things they did for them. But in another way they also maybe were thinking that they were kind off slaves of us. I think they shouldn’t have done that, because it could have end up in away that African people also could be a big part of it, and some of the big people together with the Chinese, so they could share their knowledge.

[yeeun]

-Entrepreneurs From China Flourish in Africa-

¡æResearch about the imbalance between China and Africa..
(I could understand more background of this imbalance).

China¡¯s imbalanced business in Africa had planed over years. I searched for ¡°The imbalanced problem between China and Africa¡± in Google, and I got one interesting article which is also about the relationship between China and Africa. This article was published in 2005, so it did not show the problems of imbalanced products but showed how this imbalance has formed and developed. In 2005, China had started offering infrastructures to Africa for their demand; Mining, transportation, communication and power generation. Africa accepted China¡¯s demand, but they also demanded a deal; Political support. So China has vowed to veto any sanctions imposed against Africa. In 2005, the relationship between China and Africa looked mutual, but now the article in 2007 showed the problems of imbalance.

¡æSummary of the current event

Since the relationship between China and Africa had become active, people in China started going to Africa. Why? Because: people can start a bigger business with same amount of money in Africa, than in China. So over the five years, the number of Chinese migrants has boosted in Africa. In addition, the reason Africa has not stopped Chinese is because of cheaper materials. The Western companies also exports things to Africa, but the price is actually expensive, to Africans. So over the five years, Africans have turned to the Chinese markets, a cheaper way. By the way, recently, in some parts of Africa blocked Chinese. Why did they suddenly stop their good business partnership? It is because they realized that their products are much less than China¡¯s. Though China¡¯s infrastructure for Africa is still going on, now, Africans do not thank about it anymore. Instead, Africans are claiming for fair products in oil exploitation, and role in job.

China takes the half of Africa¡¯s earning from oil exploitation. Though Africa has larger amount of resource, how much they can actually earn from it? The answer is so little. Yet, Africa does not have high technology to exploit resources. So usually, the Western companies dose it, and share little amount of money with Africa. By the way, currently, China involved in the oil exploitation too. So they co-operate with the Western companies and build the relationship with them. (research) By the way, the funny thing is China takes the half of $2billion, which is Africa¡¯s earning in oil business, every year. So this unfair product is one of reasons that some parts of Africa turned to be an anti-Chinese country. In addition, there is one more major thing that Africans are complaining to China.

Africans have unfair roles in the Chinese companies, in Africa. Lots of Chinese investors have entered Africa, and provided jobs to Africans. By the way, what kind of job do the Africans are taking? They are only taking the menial jobs. Whether they have studied or worked hard, they are just placed in the menial role. So the African workers are complaining, but it is always ignored, and never changed.

¡æMy opinion on the current event

Well, my opinion on this event is why China only gives fishes, and why Africa only wants fishes? I think the relationship between Africa and China can be really mutual for each other because they both have the exact things they need to develop. First, Africa can get materials in much cheaper way from China. Second, China exactly knows what Africa needs to develop because they have experienced it over years. At last, Africa is a great market for China to develop and expand their power. Though there are so many things which can be mutual between them, these two countries are not using it well. They both want more so that is why China is blocked, and Africa is almost under Chinese marketing. So my opinion, and solution, of this event is this. China needs to teach the skills to catch fishes, and Africa needs to think about how they can hunt fishes independently.

¡æMy prediction

I think, the relationship will not just disappear. Although they are having problems of imbalance, when they need the profits, from this relationship, they will probably open to each other again. But what if China totally takes Africa and its markets, then; I dare say China would be the most developed country. Because: they will get enough resources from Africa, and more political power. In addition, they will get much more products from the African markets, and from the countries which try to trade with Africa. On the other hand, I also predict that there will be a huge competition between countries for the monopoly of the African markets. The world will not just let China takes African market. Like the situations in India today, the countries will be crowded in Africa.

¡æMy question and connection: The monopoly in one developing nation.

While I was reading this article, I suddenly got a question. ¡°Why are all the relationships between developing and developed nations totally same?¡± I have lived in India for only one and half years, but I have seen the different development of India. In addition, I have seen how other countries try to have the monopoly in India. By the way, the reasons of monopoly are all only for one thing. The countries want to develop more and more and more¡¦ Now, the world is talking about the problems of the global inequality, but all the global companies are coming to the developing nations for more products. Does the world want to be divided into two different species, developed and developing? I was so puzzled about the reason of monopoly.

[eunjucho]

I didn¡¯t even know this stuff was going on. Well, Chinese do have some brilliant ideas. I can¡¯t believe that they actually started factories or other things in Africa. There are ice cream factories in Lilongwe, Malawi, Chinese are building roads, pipe-laying factory in Ethiopia and more. I mean it is certainly really hot in Africa and Africans don¡¯t really speak Chinese. I really couldn¡¯t believe that this guy started his pipe-laying factory in Ethiopia because it is one of the poorest countries! Anyway, it¡¯s also so surprising that Chinese are doing so fine! Well, I think it¡¯s a good thing that Chinese are building some factories because most of African countries are underdeveloped. Africa is also expecting more Chinese workers to come and work which is kind of cool.

Well, I didn¡¯t know why some Africans want to kick out Chinese from their countries, at first but I think it is kind of unfair. It is good for African countries but other African markets or stores won¡¯t sell as much as they did before Chinese came because Chinese markets sell their things without paying taxes, which means more people will come there and buy more stuff from them because it will be cheaper than other stores they have in Africa. It¡¯s good for people who are poor and destitute but not for the other African store owners.

Chinese should also hire Africans to work in their companies, meaning not only laboring but like the jobs Chinese have. Also, if Chinese really want to stay there and keep working, they should let them because in Zambia there¡¯s this anti-Chinese thing. It could spread further and Chinese could be in danger. There are already some kidnappings and murders. Also, what happened in the hotel should not happen again. Chinese are working in Africa which means they should be able to respect people in there. I was so shocked how that businessman shouted at one of the workers in hotel like that, saying embarrassing stuff. At least, they shouldn¡¯t do that for their own good because Africans can kick Chinese out of their countries and there can be more killing and stuff. I mean, that anti-Chinese movement thing is serious. It is not some kind of a joke.

Well, I hope the best for people who work there and for African countries. Hopefully, they will develop a lot and people will live better lives there.

[arpitav]

Before I read this article, I didn't know that that many people were emigrating to Africa.

First of all, Why would the Chinese emigrate to Africa? Why wouldn't the emigrate to America, Canada or Europe?

According to the article, "many economies lie undeveloped or in ruins.." Because of this, no matter what business the Chinese entrepreneurs started, they would have basically no competition. In countries all over the world, immigrants from the same country usually stick together. They do this because it's a new place and they want to get to know the place they moved to. On the other hand, in Africa the "Chinese are clannish, sticking to themselves day and night." It has become so extreme "the 200 Chinese workers for the Road and Bridge Corporation live in a communal compound, eating food prepared by cooks brought from China and receiving basic health care from a Chinese doctor." If the Chinese don't start communicating with the local people, the anti-Chinese protests might move from Zambia to other parts of Africa.

What could happen in the long run if integration doesn't happen between the Chinese immigrants and the locals? Can the Chinese keep their business going if they don't have any help from the communities around them? Would the locals choose to show how they feel using actions?

To me, it's much, much, better to have friends, than enemies, ESPECIALLY in business. Instead of hiring only other Chinese people, the Chinese businessmen should at least give the local African people a chance, and train the ones that need to be trained. It takes a lot of nerve, money, and energy to move to a different country and start your own business. If the Chinese make an attempt to have a relationship with them host country, a lot more can be achieved. Also, I believe the the Chinese will play and enormous role in the development of some of the countries in Africa.

[meehye]

This article is about that Chinese start business in Africa. Mr. Yang lived hardscrabble Fujian, he do not like home country so when he was 18, he searched where he could do business. There was Africa. Africa have desert so he started ice cream business. Therefore, it was really biggest company in Africa. That became resource of business. Many Chinese came to Africa. They started business like health care and airport and highway etc. In the 1960s, American and European companies came but it was unsuccessful in Africa but, China did that. So Chinese government and big company increase their stake in Africa. Nowadays continually China invests in Africa.

I am not sure about that it is really good for Africa or not. Maybe, some points are good for Africa. Africa has lots of problems of economics and health care. And properly, Africa is undeveloping country. So maybe it becomes chance for developing. But I do not think so; it is just for China, not for Africa. Of course, Africa becomes rich because Chinese who are doing business in Africa, pay lots of tax for that. Africa¡¯s economics will be better than before. However, they will lose their culture and their traditional technique or their pattern of work. Africa can think that Chinese help them after that, China can control them because China knows many defect of Africa so I think China can control Africa very easily.

For example, In India has lots of foreign country, I am not saying about controlling. But they can help India economics but, it is not for India and it is only for their own country developing. Then what do they do in India Government? Then are they use these companies for their developing? I do not think so, just their leave them. I can see India help that other countries become develop. Some as Africa, I have not read about what Africa did. But I think, Africa also they did not do anything for that.

The other point in question is that China. This article said that, China is hardscrabble. That mean is that when they work a lots but I cannot get money for that much. So it is really unfair for employment and than lots of unemployment also there. Then when they work in Africa, what is better than before? Is that good for country or only for who have business in Africa? What is for? If China government think also good for country, the resource is from Mr. Yang. The Government gives some prize money for him? Or is he becomes famous in their homelands? Why many people come to Africa? For that what Government do?

I have lots of question about Africa and China. I hope between two countries¡¯ relationship is good and helping each other. And both country develop and make good for their country.

[divya]

This article talks about the massive amount of Chinese immigrants coming to Africa is affecting the continent and its economy. Different people talk about their personal experiences and lives.

Africa being a huge land mass in the center of the globe, we tend to forget about it a lot of the time. Vacation time? Beaches or exotic places that may occassionally include Egypt once in a while but other than that not many choose to settle there by choice. But this article is just an example about how these overlooked countries and continent is coming back to grab our attention.

This is almost exactly like the outsourcing "crisis" we had 10-15 years back with India and the United States. Suddenly a third world country was becoming a super power slowly and no one could avoid it. Soon, businesses, jobs, and families were all moving to India and setting up new lives and settling there. This is the same relationship China and Africa are building. This article is interesting because no one would expect to see Chinese people in Africa but now new enterprises are being built and the amount of Chinese people there is astonishing. But in my opinion, this could be a good or bad situation depending on how you look at it.

Because of globalization, our world is becoming smaller and smaller each day, with new technology and bringing people closer together to share more and more ideas and with them comes their culture and traditions. As it states in the article, more and more immigrants are coming and setting up their own environments, as similar to home as possible. The number of different tribal traditions and intriguing cultures may be subjagated and lost through this new arrival of people and that would be a shame to lose that much originality just because the Chinese come and change their lifestyles with new ways.

The Chinese are also bunching up and some are not interacting with the locals or others. Coming together and sharing ideas should be a positive thing and as a result help mankind develop, or at least counrties. By grouping together and making their own "China" in Africa, it is not beneficial to Africa and it will not help to make progress. Also the government is allowing these people to settle in their countries so in return they should help the individual country's economies. A scary side effect of the teaming up are the riots that are becoming more and more common. This is dangerous to everyone and should be avoided at any cost. It is not so hard to incorporate the African people in the Chinese businesses. The cheap labor is an incentive towards the entrepenurs and will create better relationships with the locals. There should be some regulations dealing with money earned and money that has to be returned to the government so that both Africa and the businesses profit.

It is good that the variety of businesses is abundant and that so many third world countries can benefit significantly from the increased amount of jobs and opportunities. The upside to this new business strategy is that economies are being helped and Africa as a continent will be recognized as one that can possibly succeed in the future. With the number of problems they have all over the continent, this can create a better life for many and also the Chinese are happy too. This can be a win-win situation if the Chinese people and Africans go about it in the right way. Millions of new jobs can be given, and as the old Chinese proverb says, " Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish, you feed him for lifetime." This advice should be taken and the locals should be taught how to do these new jobs if they already don't know. Positive realtionships should be created to get the most out of this new approach.

In the future I predict that Africa will work out some of the issues of tax return, etc. and make this new system work better for them. Africa, or at least some of the countries in Africa could produce a lot and become a rising power, but there is a lot of work to be done. There is always the question of what will happen in the long run and I think we need to observe the business success and interactions before we make long term predictions. With many of the natural resources still there, Africa seems ready to take on the challenge if everyone is willing to work together and if they are determined to change and shape their future.

Questions: Will the two cultures or more importantly religions clash? It shouldn't because there are many Christians and Islamic believers in both places, but there is a possibility. Also, is there anything that developed countries such as the United States or countries in Europe such as England can do to help and ensure success? And if there is success, is it safe to say that many of the other problems, such as the AIDS epidemic will be solved naturally because of the stronger economy, meaning stronger countries in general? Or do the two have no corrolation at all at still need to be looked at separately?

[jihyeyun]

ARTICLE ;D
Africa had about $55 billion in trade in 2006 with other countries. Chinese started their businesses in Africa: Ice cream, pipe-laying business, ABC Bioenergy-builds devices that generate combustible gas from ordinary refuse- which is alternative source of energy in a country where electricity supplies are erratic and prices high, textile.

Nowadays, as in the past, Chinese people where has huge population, Chinese are spreading fast through out the world. According to New York Times many companies of china has come in the Africa. I think the Chinese are very smart who came to Africa where Chinese can have tax benefits with good environments to start businesses and flourish their companies.

Chinese exodus to Africa and starting businesses can be beneficial to develop Africa. First, even though there are lots of menial jobs, the unemployment of Africa will be decrease. Low price of many Chinese goods and services are more affordable, purchasable to Africans. So that Chinese can make Africans life better. Furthermore as Chinese come to Malawi and expend their businesses in there, a lot of other subsidizing facilities came along with the Chinese' businesses to assist Chinese, like health care clinics, trading companies, roads, stadium, rail roads, dams and air ports. These facilities will really improve the quality Chinese¡¯s life in there but also Africans¡¯ life. Also, these huge projects in Africa will bring more investments and finance aids from foreign countries and China. In 2007, China is assisting Africa with $8.1 billion investments. The largest chinese road builders have 29 projects in Africa and, they are financed by the World Bank or other leaders. Thus, these huge projects in Africa will attract lots of aids and investments from other countries which really helps Africa to develop. Trading with China has increased from $11 billion to $40 billion between 2000 and 2005 and, China is becoming Africa¡¯s third largest trading partner. Moreover China, powerful global market, and Africa had cooperation in 2006 and this positive relationship with China will bring fast development in Africa.


However, Chinese ,moved to Africa, provide jobs to Africans only menial jobs, there will be some kind of discrimination between Chinese and Africans. Also China, by dominating country¡¯s raw materials and resources, will affect negatively to the Africans¡¯ local businesses. We can think that there will be environment problems from sudden developments by Chinese. Since, China can easy to explore and easy to ignore another countries¡¯ environments, Chinese may pollute the Africa¡¯s environments. Clearing trees and forests to build roads and dam will destroy the ecosystem or even can spread diseases in Africa. In Rwanda, Chinese companies have paved more than 80 percent of the main roads and Chinese companies own the largest copper mining. Besides lots of Chinese timber companies came into Africa and cutting tones of trees. Usually in developing countries have corrupted or unstable governments, so the politicians can steal money from the foreign aids and take themselves rather than use money for problems in their countries.

I have questions about the difficulties that Chinese have in Africa with their businesses; the extreme heat and very different weather is really difficult for Chinese to precede their businesses in Africa. And is there any destruction in habitats of Africans because of building roads, dams and many huge projects that Chinese is doing in Africa. I am sure that Africa can develop fast with Chinese helps however; there will be some kind of demo because of inequality in jobs and sudden mass destruction of environment in Africa.

Additional information sources
news.mongabay.com/2005/0420x-tina_butler.html
www.asianresearch.org/articles/3040.html[/font]

[sofiekh]

The story is about Chinese immigrants moving from china to Africa to build up companies and firms there. There are about 750.000 Chinese people in Africa.
The Chinese presence has gradually replaced the Europeans, who formerly dominated the continent, with respect to trade and economic power. This is because the competition is weak and the Chinese products are sold at a lower price, making it more affordable to the African customers.
One of the big problems with the Chinese immigrants is that they attempt to isolate them selves, e.g. they stay in the houses after work, they do not mingle with locals, and they import their own food.
The Chinese companies are often criticized for reserving jobs for Chinese that the Africans are qualified for or could easily be trained to do. This is creating friction with the African workers. In addition many of the Chinese run companies have conflict between the Chinese management and local workers.

In my opinion the Chinese factory owners should be more open towards the Africans. By becoming more integrated with the locals and by treating the local workers better the Chinese could contribute more to develop the African nations.

If the Chinese do not change their behavior in Africa one could fear it would lead to episodes like in Indonesia where Chinese shop owners were assaulted and forced to flea the country.

It could be interesting to know if there is a positive trend in the way Chinese are behaving in Africa. This will require more research on the topic.

On a note it could be argued that the Chinese way of isolating them selves is not far from what we the expatriates are doing in India: we do not go outside the house after we get home from work/school, we do not go in to the city to meet with locals, we do not go around in the city every day for fun, etc.

[sparsh]

My opinion about this article is that, since Chinese people are coming to Africa to start businesses it will help develop the developing continent. The article said Chinese people are opening Chinese restaurant's. I think that is very good because no the Africans get more variety of foods. On the other hand the Chinese companies are starting so many projects and using the African oil, i think they are "stealing" the Africans natural resources, by doing that it is decreasing their chances of developing.

This article was basically, at start about a boy named Yang Jie who was 18 years old going to Africa to start a ice cream business thinking Africa is one big desert and people would love a cold cup of ice cream down there. He started his own factory in Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital. It became the countries biggest ice cream company.
Eventually lost of people came to Africa to start a new business's. Chinese came to Africa and started openings restaurant's, massage parlors and Chinese owned pharmacies. Big Chinese companies started making projects here. Chinese government owned companies started about 29 projects. Eventually that should have happened a while ago countries such as Zambia started protests, and wanted the Chinese gone. In may Chinese oil workers have been kidnapped in Nigeria and in Ethiopia, where nine were killed. These incidents have occurred due to the Chinese being here in African.

Will the Chinese do the smart thing in my point of view at least and leave, or stay and use up Africa's resources and build projects and let these events occur and ignore them.
who knows?
WE WILL SOON.

[sujata]

This article is basically about the Chinese migrating to Africa. The Chinese are setting up homes and work in many undeveloped places of Africa, leaving behind their homes in China for new and different opportunities. Africa is giving these Chinese a second chance, if they weren’t successful back home. The Chinese in Africa are doing better than the Africans there by setting up companies, and different industries that the climate there permits. The African’s are loosing a lot of work due to this migration. These Chinese are in Africa since they have a head start because of the underdevelopment in Africa. Back home in China they have a lot of competition that they do not have in Africa. The mistake the African’s are making here, is letting the Chinese take over many areas in Africa. The Chinese have better jobs than the Africans. The African’s are doing the little jobs anyone can do.
My take on this event is that history will repeat its self. I think eventually what’s going to happen is that the Chinese are going to take over, rule and colonize Africa. Africa is going to be the home to all those who failed in China. From many things stated in the article, it is pretty obvious the Chinese are of higher standards in Africa and that they are using all of Africa’s natural resources. They are doing all the high standard jobs and live a better life there than the Africans. This looks exactly the same as what India was when the British first came to India as immigrants. The British lived better, worked better and were respected more than the Indians. At present in Africa the Chinese are the same as the British were in India. I think the African’s need to realize this and not only small revolutions and some of the government reacting can change this, since China is the most populated country in the world. All of Africa needs to work as a team and deal with what may become a huge problem for native African’s in the near or distant future. They need to let the Chinese know that if they want to stay on in Africa, a certain percentage of their jobs in companies need to go to Africans. This could be a start to Africa’s development and an end to the chance of colonial rule in Africa.

[hawklim]

I think that this article is about helping each other. Actually, most of Africans do not have enough money to build a factory or a company. Therefore, there cannot be employee who can hire Africans and it means most of them cannot have a job! However, Mr. Yang came and built a factory with the money he borrowed from his friends, neighbors, and relatives. So, he could hire African workers who were lost what they have to do and gave them hope to earn money. However, some Africans they do not like any foreigners to be at Africa like when Europeans attacked them and made them slaves. They are also afraid and tired of other people's opinion about black men.

I am also surprised with Mr. Yang's braveness that he came to Africa without any fear of the group with teen soldiers, which attack people without mercy for getting jewels. However, if you want to start your own business, you should be ready even though what kind of hard situations are waiting for you.

Because of this current event, we can say China is not the frog inside the well. The frogs in the well only can see the sky not the other parts of the world. China is developing quickly as a bird finally finished healing their wings. China will be great like last time in their history.

[pyeonchan]

Nowadays, many Chinese advanced many African countries in order to find the new and better life. Because China is potentially one of the biggest markets in the world, many foreign investments have grown as time goes on. So this article feels unaccustomed to me. However, regardless of Chinese¡¯ intentions, the sudden influx of Chinese over the Africa seems to create both positive and negative effect.


Through many Chinese factories and industries, many Africans could get the job from those works. Due to the continuous success over a decade, the new investments from China keep increasing over many African countries such as Malawi, Sudan, etc. They cooperate with the entrepreneurs who already worked in the African countries, so they reduce the probabilities of failure of their investments or works.


Unfortunately, there are also many bad effects created by the influx of Chinese. Although they created many jobs to operate their works, the major positions are occupied by the Chinese, not the local people in Africa. The Chinese employers hire the Africans for the mean and unimportant works. Moreover, due to the Chinese¡¯ occupancy over the many fields in many African countries, the local business men feel difficult to compete with these Chinese. It should be the fair competition with the Africans, but actually the products that the Chinese sell are cheaper than what the local people sell. It is because of the difference of the tax or duty. Then, the country like Nigeria has the protest to oppose the expansion of Chinese¡¯ industries.


The new flow of business from China must be helpful for the African countries as well. They can get many jobs from the Chinese¡¯ works and it will help their countries grow the economy. However, to keep working in China, the Chinese should stop discriminating the Africans when they hire the employees. They may need to employ the Africans in the major positions, too. I hope that both sides can get the satisfactory answers through the concession.

[Gregory Hewett]

Hola Class!

I hope you had an excellent weekend.

Some very insightful and enlightening comments have been posted. Let's take 15-20 minutes to read through some of the comments, and then post a reply to one of them. Be sure to note which comment you are replying to.

Carpe Diem!

[divya]

ye eun... yours is amazing. the research and extra information that you collected was relevant and helped others understand the article much better. stop being so smart.

[yulli]

Hey Sofiekh! I kind of agree to your idea and really think that the Chinese owners should be more open to African people because then their relationships will get much better. ;D

[yulli]

Hey Miriam, I think you did a good job! You presented your thoughts throughly enough and i could really agree with you on your last paragraph. Because in my opinion, the relationship between African and Chinese will improve with just a little bit of effort. As long as both nations, especially Chinese try to cooperate with one another, the Chinese will have fairly good buisness in their hosting country, Africa. ^^