Sino-African relations and the problem of human rights

African Affairs

Volumn 107, Issue 426, 2008, Pages 63-87

  Taylor, Ian ^a  

^a NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY; ECONOMIC RELATIONS; FOREIGN POLICY; GOVERNANCE APPROACH; HUMAN RIGHTS; INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; POLITICAL RELATIONS; SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS;

AFRICA; ASIA; CHINA; EURASIA; FAR EAST;

EID: 38149076489     PISSN: 00019909     EISSN: 14682621     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1093/afraf/adm056     Document Type: Article

References (103)

1. For broader discussions of Sino-African ties, see Ian Taylor, China and Africa: Engagement and compromise (Routledge, London, 2006)
2. Denis Tull, 'China's engagement in Africa: Scope, significance and consequences', Journal of Modern African Studies 44, 3 (2006), pp. 459-79
3. and Ian Taylor, 'The "all-weather" friend? Sino-African interaction in the twenty-first century' in Ian Taylor and Paul Williams (eds), Africa in International Politics: External involvement on the continent (Routledge, London, 2004), pp. 83-101.
4. For an earlier treatment, see Ian Taylor, 'China's foreign policy towards Africa in the 1990s', Journal of Modern African Studies 36, 3 (1998), pp. 443-60.
5. People's Daily [Beijing], 30 January 2007, p. 3.
6. China Daily [Beijing], 13 January 2006, p. 2.
7. See Ian Taylor, 'China's oil diplomacy in Africa', International Affairs 82, 5 (September 2006), pp. 937-60.
8. Human Rights Watch, 'China-Africa summit: Focus on human rights, not just trade: Chinese leadership should pressure Sudan, Zimbabwe on human rights' (Human Rights Watch, New York, NY, 2 November 2006).
9. Sariah Rees-Roberts, a press officer for London-based Amnesty International, quoted in UN Integrated Regional Information Networks [Dakar], 27 June 2006, p. 1.
10. Public Agenda [Accra], 6 November 2006, p. 3.
11. The Namibian [Windhoek], 19 January 2007, p. 2.
12. East African Business Week [Kampala], 1 May 2006, p. 4.
13. Les Echos [Paris] 23 October 2006, p. 2.
14. Statement of Ms Carolyn Bartholomew, Commissioner, US-China Economic and Security Review Commission in the Hearing before the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations of the Committee on International Relations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, First Session, July 28, 2005, Serial No. 109-74 (Government Printer, Washington DC, 2005), p. 17.
15. The Times [London] 4 July 2006, p. 5.
16. Ming Wan, Human Rights in Chinese Foreign Relations: Defining and defending national interests (University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, PA, 2001), p. 1.
17. Rosemary Foot, Rights Beyond Borders: The global community and the struggle over human rights in China (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2000
18. Ann Kent, China, the United Nations, and Human Rights: The limits of compliance (University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, PA, 1999).
19. Robert Weatherly argues that in China Confucianism, Republicanism, and Marxism have come together over time to produce today's emphasis on socio-economic and collective rights and the importance of citizens' duties vis-a-vis the exercise of their rights. See Robert Weatherly, The Discourse of Human Rights in China: Historical and ideological perspectives (Macmillan, London,1999).
20. Jiang Zemin's report, delivered at the 15th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on 12 September 1997, entitled 'Hold high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping theory for an all-round advancement of the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics to the 21st century" (Reproduced in Xinhua [Beijing], 13 September 1997, P. 1).
21. Ibid.
22. Daniel Burstein and Arne de Keijzer, Big Dragon: The future of China: what it means for business, the economy, and the global order (Touchstone, New York, NY, 1999), p. 136.
23. See Dingding Chen, 'Explaining China's changing discourse on human rights, 1978-2004', Asian Perspective 29, 3 (2005), pp. 155-82.
24. 'Human rights can be manifested differently', Xinhua [Beijing], 12 December 2005, p. 2.
25. Associated Press [Bissau], 8 January 2007, p. 1.
26. Interview by author with Shu Zhan, Chinese Ambassador, Asmara, Eritrea, 29 June 2006.
27. Interview by author with Acting Head, Political Affairs Section, Chinese Embassy, Windhoek, Namibia, 13 August 2006.
28. People's Republic of China, 'China's Africa policy' (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Beijing, 2006), p. 3.
29. Xinhua [Beijing] 12 December 2005, p. 1.
30. Xinhua [Beijing], 12 December 2005, p. 1.
31. See Ian Taylor, 'Taiwan's foreign policy and Africa: The limitations of dollar diplomacy', Journal of Contemporary China 11, 30 (February 2002), pp. 125-40.
32. Xinhua [Beijing], 1 July 1992, p. 1.
33. Xinhua [Beijing], 22 December 1994, p. 2.
34. Beijing Review [Beijing], 29 July-4 August 1996, p. 4.
35. He Wenping, 'China-Africa relations facing the 21st century' (paper presented at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Forum 'Africa Beyond 2000', 27 May 2003).
36. Xinhua [Beijing], 12 December 2005, p. 2.
37. Quoted in Paul Mooney, 'China's African safari', YaleGlobal, 3 January 2005, p. 2.
38. Interview by author with David Jabati, news editor, Awareness Times Freetown, Sierra Leone, 7 June, 2006.
39. By the ruling class I refer to the top echelons of the political elite and bureaucracy, the leading members of the liberal professions, the nascent bourgeoisie and high-ranking officers in the security forces - see Irving Markovitz (ed.), Studies in Power and Class in Africa (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1987), p. 8.
40. Robert Fatton, 'Bringing the ruling class back in: Class, state, and hegemony in Africa', Comparative Politics 20, 3 (1988), p. 36.
41. Robert Fatton, 'Liberal democracy in Africa', Political Science Quarterly 105, 3 (1990), p. 469.
42. Interview by author with Pamela Mbabazi, Ugandan academic, Mbarara, Uganda, 2 November 2006.
43. Financial Gazette [Harare], 8 November 2006, p. 5.
44. Interview with Christopher Parsons, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Freetown, Sierra Leone, 8 June 2006.
45. See Ian Taylor, NEPAD: Towards Africa's development or another false start? (Lynne Rienner, Boulder, CO, 2005).
46. People's Daily [Beijing], 16 December 2003, p. 4.
47. 'Africa-China: Friend or foe?', AfricP Research Bulletin: political, social and cultural, 16 February 15 March 2006, p. 16855.
48. Interview by author with African Union official, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 15 May 2007.
49. A point made to me in a seminar on Sino-African relations organized by the Centre for Chinese Studies, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, 17 August 2006.
50. The Star [Johannesburg], 4 July 2006, p. 6.
51. Interview by the author with Henning Melber, Namibian political economist, Windhoek, Namibia, 14 August 2006.
52. Daily Trust [Abuja] 18 December 2006.
53. Chris Melville and Olly Owen, 'China and Africa: A new era of "South-South" cooperation', Open Democracy, 8 July 2005 (26 July 2007).
54. Ibid.
55. Herald [Harare] 14 June 2002, p. 1.
56. Herald [Harare], 17 December 2003, p. 3.
57. Melville and Owen, 'China and Africa: A new era of "South South" cooperation', p. 2.
58. Herald [Harare], 4 August 2005, p. 2.
59. Cameroon Tribune [Yaoundé], 17 December 2003, p. 6.
60. Financial Times [London], 27 July 2005, p. 3.
61. Vancouver Sun [Vancouver], 28 October 2004, p. 8.
62. Joshua Eisenman, 'Zimbabwe: China's African Ally', China Brief 5 (15 July 2005), p. 4.
63. New York Times [New York], 25 July 2005, p. 6.
64. John Blessings Karumbidza, 'Win-win economic co-operation: Can China save Zimbabwe's economy?' in Firoze Manji and Stephen Marks (eds), African Perspectives on China in Africa (Fahamu, Cape Town, 2007), pp. 88-9.
65. Business Day [ Johannesburg], 16 August 2006, p. 4.
66. Sokwanele Special Report [Cape Town], 21 June 2005, p. 3.
67. Sunday Herald [Harare], 28 August 2005, p. 2.
68. Ibid.
69. The countries visited included Cameroon, Liberia, and Sudan - but also, importantly, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, and Mozambique - or most of Mugabe's neighbours.]
70. Sunday Herald [Harare], 28 August 2005, p. 1.
71. Zimbabwe Independent [Harare], 26 January 2007, p. 3.
72. Karumbidza,'Win-win economic co-operation: Can China save Zimbabwe's economy?', p. 99.
73. Library of Congress, Federal Research Division, 'Country profile: Nigeria' (Library of Congress, Washington, DC, 2006), p. 22.
74. Guardian [London] 28 March 2006, p. 2.
75. Agence-France Presse [Lagos] 26 April 2006, p. 1.
76. Financial Times [London], 1 May 2006, p. 6.
77. People's Daily [Beijing], 7 March 2007, p. 2.
78. 'Sudan gets Chinese jets', 13 July 2000 (25 June 2007).
79. Amnesty International, 'People's Republic of China: Sustaining conflict and human rights abuses - the flow of arms accelerates' (Amnesty International, New York, NY, 2006), p. 16.
80. Quoted in 'Chinese investment spurs civil war in Sudan', 3 September 1999 (26 July 2007).
81. Quoted in New York Times [New York], 22 August 2005, p. 5.
82. Embassy of Angola, 'Angola-China: An example of South-South cooperation' (Embassy of Angola, Luanda, 26 March 2004).
83. Xinhua [Beijing], 24 January 2006, p. 1.
84. 'Angola: Oil-backed loan will finance recovery projects', Integrated Regional Information Networks [Luanda], 21 February 2005.
85. Human Rights Watch, 'Some transparency, no accountability: The use of oil revenue in Angola and its impact on human rights' (Human Rights Watch, New York, NY, 2004), p. 1.
86. Embassy of the People's Republic of China 'Sino-African relations' (Embassy of the People's Republic of China, Harare, 2003), p. 1.
87. 'Beijing Declaration of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation', quoted by Xinhua [Beijing], 19 October 2006, p. 1.
88. New Straits Times [Singapore], 5 January 2007, p. 7.
89. Students of mine at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda, were very forceful in arguing this line during a course I taught on 'Africa in the global political economy' in November 2005. Their strength of feeling on this issue was most thought-provoking.
90. Bertrand Badie, The Imported State: The Westernization of the political order (Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA, 2000), p. 19.
91. Peter Lewis, 'Economic reform and political transition in Africa: The quest for a politics of development', World Politics 49, 1 (1996), pp. 99-129.
92. Peter Lewis, 'China in Africa', Saisphere, Winter 2006, p. 1.
93. 'China's wild scramble for Africa', 5 November 2006 (26 July 2007).
94. Interview by author with Chinese diplomat, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 15 May 2007.
95. David Shinn, 'The China factor in African ethics', Policy Innovations 21 December 2006, p. 2.
96. Interview by author with African Union official, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 16 May 2007.
97. Human Rights Watch, 'Some transparency, no accountability', p. 1.
98. Conversations with Professor Pang Zhongying of Renmin University, Beijing, on Sino-African relations during seminars organized by the Centro di Alti Studi sulla Cina Contemporanea, in Turin and Naples in April 2007 have greatly contributed to my understanding of this ongoing process.
99. Inter Press Service [Johannesburg], 15 November 2006, p. 1.
100. A point made to the author during an interview with an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 16 May 2007.
101. Interview by author with senior Western diplomat, Asmara, Eritrea, 30 June 2006.
102. Interview by author with Western diplomat, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 15 May 2007.
103. Interview by author with Saffie Koroma, National Accountability Group, Freetown, Sierra Leone, 7 June 2006.