China’s Soccer Stadium Diplomacy in Africa
Time was, global superpowers wanting to curry favor with smaller, resource-rich nations would simply provide them with weapons, cash, and UN vetoes. China is taking a new approach. As the rising Asian giant brokers deals with countries across Africa, it is using all sorts of incentives.
Primary among these incentives is the idea that China’s development will come with fewer strings attached than that coming from Western countries. China’s investment in Sudan’s oil sector, for instance, has been welcomed by the repressive African regime, as the Chinese have done little to speak out against the genocide in Darfur.
China promotes its investment in Africa as mutually beneficial, playing up the “we know what it feels to be repressed by Western governments” card. Solidarity of developing countries has some cache in Africa, apparently, as many countries have eagerly agreed to do deals with China.
China is clearly a smart negotiator. Hu Jintao and company know to give African governments what they want. In addition to implicit promises not to speak out on problems of governance, the Chinese are now offering a unique deal sweetener: soccer stadiums.
Part of Hu Jintao’s recent trip across Africa included a stop in Zambia, where he was welcomed as an “all-weather friend.” Part of the deal Hu completed with Zambia includes the promise to build a new soccer stadium in the African country.
Chinese president Hu Jintao with his Zambian counterpart Levy Mwanawasa
African countries need investment in their soccer infrastructure. It is not uncommon that an African nation will only have one grass field in the entire country. But is making deals with China that include funding for new stadiums beneficial in the long term to countries in Africa?
Many are beginning to speak out against Chinese investment in Africa. The president of Zambia, Levy Mwanawasa may call China “a good partner, and a good brother” but his pronouncements stand in contrast to what has become apparent on the ground. Concerns over labor practices in Chinese-owned companies in Africa and dumping of cheap products on African markets are causing some to question the nature of the Sino-African relationship.
In a recent editorial in the Christian Science Monitor Anene Ejikeme, a professor of history at Trinity University, takes a strong stand in saying that, “It’s essential to recall that imperialism is not foreign to China’s long and glorious history.”
Clearly, China’s investment in Africa is not simply an exercise in brotherly love. But where does this leave soccer fans in Zambia who would like to ensure that the new stadium which will take the place of the current Indepdence Stadium will have the financing in place to be built? In a quandary. For surely a stadium in which these are the luxury seats is in need of serious upgrade.
But what will be the ultimate price of upgrading Zambia’s soccer stadium? The future will bring an answer to the question of whether China’s soccer stadium diplomacy can keep Zambians from speaking out against the Asian country’s ultimately exploitative practices.
November 16th, 2009 09:06
[...] tactics as it strives for global influence as an emerging superpower is what some have called “stadium diplomacy.” China’s general scheme in the world of international development has been to worry a lot [...]