Egypt achieves record primary budget surplus of EGP 629bn despite sharp fall in Suez Canal revenues    Escalation in Gaza, West Bank as Israeli strikes continue amid mounting international criticism    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Resumption of production at El Nasr marks strategic step towards localising automotive industry: El-Shimy    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, UNDP discuss outcomes of joint projects, future environmental cooperation    United Bank achieves EGP 1.51bn net profit in H1 2025, up 26.9% year-on-year    After Putin summit, Trump says peace deal is best way to end Ukraine war    Jordan condemns Israeli PM remarks on 'Greater Israel'    Egypt's Supreme Energy Council reviews power supply plans for 14 industrial projects    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, bilateral ties in calls with Saudi, South African counterparts    Egypt prepares to tackle seasonal air pollution in Nile Delta    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egyptian pound closes high vs. USD on Tuesday – CBE    Egypt, Colombia discuss medical support for Palestinians injured in Gaza    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Sieren's China: Asia leads United States in Africa race
Published in Daily News Egypt on 28 - 07 - 2015

Barack Obama cannot do much more in Africa. DW's Frank Sieren thinks that Asia, especially China, is so far ahead that the United States won't be able to catch up.
Last weekend, US President Barack Obama traveled to East Africa with a big business delegation. In the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, he co-hosted this year's Global Entrepreneurship Summit, which took place in sub-Saharan Africa for the first time. He also signed agreements expected to ease future investments in Kenya by US firms.
After Kenya, his journey took him to the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, where he visited the African Union headquarters in the capital city.
Obama has come to Africa a bit late. Just two days before he arrived, China granted $17 million (15 million euros) to Kenya for a new Confucius Institute, humanitarian aid for refugees from Somalia and the refurbishment of Kasarani Stadium – where Obama made a speech to thousands of onlookers.
The timing was not coincidental. The Chinese government wants to show the US who is calling the shots and paving the path to successful cooperation with African states. Beijing understood Africa's value from the point of view of natural resources much earlier than Washington. Africa's population of 1.1 billion and its booming middle class offer a new market for Chinese products. Trade between China and Africa reached $222 billion in 2014 – about three times more than trade between Africa and the United States.
Too late, Obama
The US president, whose father was Kenyan and who still has family there, has failed to enable his country to benefit from Africa's boom. It was only last year that the United States woke up and invited all African states to its US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington. Here, too, the United States was no pioneer. China and Japan have done this for years. India and South Korea also have long-established business connections with Africa.
Now, it's too late for Obama to benefit from Africa's boom. His visit has had little value in both ideological and economic terms.
The first black president of the US, Nobel Peace laureate and beacon of hope for millions could have sunk his teeth into the matter earlier. Instead, Obama avoided Africa during his first years in office and took too long to visit. Finally, in summer 2013, not long after his second term began, he made an official eight-day trip to Africa, stopping off in Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania.
Yet to shine
Obama could have stepped on the gas during his second term, and the fact that he did not is a big minus. Especially considering the extent to which Africa will continue to play a role in the future. People will ask why Obama did not understand this earlier. The initiatives that he announced with great rhetorical brilliance – Power Africa, to bring electricity to the whole continent, and the African Growth and Opportunity Act, to offer tax advantages to African goods on the US market – have yet to shine.
The United States cannot offer as much as China or India to Africa in terms of developing infrastructure – apart from the oil infrastructure. When it comes to bridges, roads, rails, ports and water plants, Asian companies have more knowledge because they are currently helping to build up their own countries. China has political reasons for wanting to finance projects in Africa – Chinese companies can bring money in fast and with no red tape.
Moreover, in recent years China has profited from the fact that its relationship with the African continent is not historically loaded. This is in contrast to the United States, which engaged in the trading of slaves from Africa from its days as a British colony until well after independence. That history has had the United States on the defensive with Africa from the outset.
China and India have firsthand experience of many of the problems developing states in Africa are facing. Therefore, they have pragmatic solutions to offer.
Last but not least, Beijing – like it or not – has not based its development policy and support on conditions such as democracy or human rights, as the United States and many European nations have done.
China is present in Africa. Though Obama might have achieved a great deal with Iran and Cuba, he has achieved very little in Africa, not compared with Asia, at least – not even compared with many European states, which are not always very quick on the mark either.
In 50 years' time, when Africa is playing a central role as the world's factory and has a huge middle class that is happy to consume, historians will wonder how of all people Barack Obama was able to faff cooperation with the world's last emerging continent.


Clic here to read the story from its source.