EU-African Summit
For the first time in 7 years, representatives of the EU member states met with African leaders. For many European governments the meeting was important enough to lift the visa ban on Zimbabwean President Mugabe. The urgency to readdress the Europe-African relationship stems from China's escalating influence throughout Africa. While the headlines were dominated by the presence of controversial leaders and the absence of Gordon Brown, the summit focused on immigration and peacekeeping. Most notably, African leaders categorically rejected a free trade proposal that would replace the colonial-era system.
 
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12.10.07
| 03:52 PM - |
Africa will go with whoever offers them the best deal.
Doofus - The US is afraid of China courting Africa because we are afraid that China will give Africa more than we can (or want to) give them, thus gaining sway with one of the world's largest continents. It took China going into Africa and wooing one leader after another for us to realize that we had missed an opportunity. And when we are already worried about Chinese world domination, a Chinese African colonization sounds rather scary. That said, it's funny that many of the reasons that African countries love China is because China operates the way that they do - without accountability. We require that every dollar be accounted for, while China says "here is some money, do something good with it" and then walk away. So the money goes toward lining Mugabe's pockets rather than towards providing that food and water sanitation plant that they promised. But they end up winning the leader's loyalty and cooperation, letting them bring in businesses that the US could not get. The irony is that, ultimately, China will probably help Africa make more economic headway because their two interests are aligned. "We bribe you and you let us set up our telecoms and drill your oil." An economy is planted and Africa grows. It's more than the US has been able to do in the past twenty years of food and water grants. And the US is left in the cold.
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| 10:56 AM - |
What's with the war-mongering?
jb - I don't get it. I just don't get it.
When we court African governments it's ok. When Europe courts African governments it's ok. Wen China courts African governments its THE END OF THE WORLD. What is with this double standard. This is an excellent way to get ourselves embroiled in another US versus Them - battle. If we are trying to embroil ourselves in another cold war mentality, we are doing an excellent job of it. |
| 10:52 AM - |
The Butcher of Zimbabwe
Conrad - I still can not believe that the EU allowed Robert Mugabe to come to the summit. Gordon Brown was the only one thinking sensibly when he deided to boycott, though he did undercut his act by sending a junior representative, Baroness Amos. Why the EU felt they needed to deal with that Genocidal Criminal, regardless of what the other African leaders were saying, is beyond me.
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| 10:49 AM - |
China's influence in Africa should be monitored.
AlexVA - I don't know much in regards to this specific issue but it seems to me that "free trade" with Africa would be a one way street for dirt cheap raw materials INTO China. The United States and the rest of the world need to remain vigilant in regards to the amount of influence that China has in Africa and more importantly, China's backdoor dealings with corrupt governments.
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| 09:45 AM - |
That trade deal will never work
Anonymous - With the EU farm subsidies, the African Union would have to be absolutely nuts to agree to any kind of "free" trade deal. And I'm not sure if i would ever allow Mugabe in all things considered? Zimbabwe used to be in great shape
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