AFRICA-CHINA-U.S. TRILATERAL DIALOGUE
Co-Sponsored by:
Brenthurst Foundation
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Council on Foreign Relations
Leon H. Sullivan Foundation
SUMMARY
Introduction
Over the course of the last thirteen months, delegates from Africa, China and the United States have met three times in an effort to identify strategies of cooperation among their respective nations with the goal of accelerating economic development in Africa. The meetings were held in Tswalu, South Africa in August 2006, in Beijing, in March 2007 and in Washington in September 2007.
The Trilateral Dialogue is a unique initiative. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the discussions which have taken place.
The Trilateral Dialogue process is in no way complete. There are issues that are still under discussion and there are other issues on which we have noted areas of divergence. Nevertheless, there has been a great deal of convergence, and that is what we want to share at this time in the hopes that we might stimulate other initiatives that will benefit Africa.
Areas of Agreement
? There is no strategic conflict between the U.S. and China in Africa, and there is no zero-sum dynamic between the two countries.
? Closely related to this is the African perspective that it is essential to avoid another scramble for Africa.
? There are divergent interests between the U.S. and China in Africa and they can be reconciled to Africa’s benefit. It was also noted that there is no reason that China and the U.S. will cooperate automatically.
? Business competition between the U.S. and China will take place in Africa but that by definition is not necessarily a negative, especially when new technologies are shared with Africans, skills are imported into Africa and jobs are created.
? There was agreement that the U.S. and China are important commercial partners for Africa and that both can be helpful in the mobilization for capital and debt relief.
? When it comes to energy, there was agreement on the need for the security of supply and stability of price. There was also a general consensus that Africa could benefit from all partners, especially the U.S. and China, agreeing on a framework to ensure that the revenue from these resources genuinely contributes to economic development and stronger institutions.
? Africa will have to rely on exploiting its natural resources and using the revenues from these resources more productively for social and economic development. China and the U.S. can best assist by strengthening institutions to ensure that these resources are accounted for and invested in human and national development.
? There was also agreement that we have to be careful not to look at Africa exclusively through the lens of energy production and consumption. At the same time, it was noted that the global interest in Africa has never been higher, and that it is vital that this attention is seized for Africa’s long-term benefit.
? Related to this point was the comment made by the Chinese delegation that not all have benefited equally from globalization. It is the responsibility of the world to support Africa but, at the same time, Africa has to adapt to increased globalization.
? Given the increased international attention on Africa and the democratic and economic reforms that have taken place across the continent, it was agreed that African countries have a unique opportunity to “own” their decisions over development.
? All delegations agreed that peace and security are prerequisites for stability and economic development.
? There was also agreement that all countries affirmed their “responsibility to protect” against genocide and crimes against humanity, and that there are a number of UN and African Union (AU) conventions and principles which need to be observed.
? All delegates welcomed that Africa has taken great strides forward in the area of democracy, as illustrated by the success of the AU, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, and the African Peer Review Mechanism. The refusal by the AU to recognize unconstitutional seizures of power is another significant development underscoring the trend to democracy.
Areas of Discussion
? There was considerable discussion over the degree to which China can be seen as a model of economic development. China is a developing nation that has brought a very significant number of people out of absolute poverty. China has also attracted a significant amount of foreign investment and in a generation has gone from the 30th largest nation in global trade to number three.
? At the same time, one aspect of China’s path to development was predicated on the emergence of an extremely competitive light manufacturing sector. There is a difference of opinion over whether African nations will be able to ascend the industrial ladder over the next generation in the same way.
? There was much conversation about whether there can be a genuine convergence of objectives among China, the U.S. and Africa on how best to promote development in Africa. For example, the Chinese delegation identified their objectives as promoting peace and development. The African delegation noted that their governments want development and poverty alleviation as their first priority. The U.S. delegation emphasized policies that focus on improved governance, accelerated growth and enhanced peace and security. At the same time, the American delegation noted that it is important to strengthen the role of African entrepreneurs and civil society organizations as a stimulus to development, and that corruption and crime impose the largest obstacles, or taxes, on development.
? It was also noted that Africa is projected to be the only region in 2030 in which absolute poverty will still exist. With a growing threat posed by climate change and global warming and a decline in per capita food production, there was discussion of the appropriate agricultural and scientific technologies for Africa.
? The African delegation submitted a paper on business principles for a stronger Africa, which has become one of the bases for our continuing discussion. (The paper has been distributed separately in full.)
Areas of Divergence
? Some Chinese scholars pointed out that there is no consensus on a definition of good governance. Therefore, China does not pre-condition its assistance on the existence of democracy and places more emphasis on a balance among reform, stability and development.
? The American delegation noted that the U.S. tends to condition assistance on the existence of democracy and provides direct assistance for democracy-building.
? Similarly, as it concerns peace and security, the African delegation challenged the U.S. and China to do more to help resolve the situation in Darfur. Whether or not there can be agreement among the delegations on actions for recommendation remains to be seen. The crisis of governance and economy in Zimbabwe and Somalia would also fall in this category.
? On the issue of transparency and how best to use revenues generated from commodities, there was a difference of emphasis as it concerned external codes such as the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, the Global Sullivan Principles, the Equator Principles and others. There is a long way to go to get governments and companies to adhere to these codes and there is not agreement among the delegations on how to achieve this.
? Finally, on several occasions in Beijing, the Chinese delegates underscored their government’s commitment to the principles of non-interference and mutual reciprocity. How this plays out in the area of conflict resolution and the responsibility to protect remains to be seen.
Strategies on the Way Forward
There is agreement among the three delegations that the initial three meetings of the Trilateral Dialogue started a process that has great potential. In terms of the longer-term objectives, there are several:
? Influence the African Union and the governments of China and the United States to establish an official trilateral mechanism that will address key issues pertinent to the interests of nations in Africa as well as China and the U.S.
? Provide a forum to generate ideas about American and Chinese cooperation in Africa that would be of benefit to policymakers, researchers and analysts throughout the world who are engaged in African investment, development and peace and security issues.
? Bring together stakeholders in working groups in sectors such as agriculture, health and energy who have the resources and institutional capacity to train Africans, introduce new technologies and create expanded opportunities in these sectors.
? Maintain and possibly expand the existing mechanism that there be a regular dialogue among the delegates of the Trilateral Dialogue and officials from government, international organizations, corporations and non-governmental organizations with the objective of leveraging resources, technologies and expertise on behalf of African development.
? Recognizing that peace and security are essential to African development, continue to discuss how to increase AU and UN peacekeeping capabilities.
To achieve these objectives, the Trilateral Dialogue could well continue in its current form or in an agreed alternative form. At the same time, it could establish issue-based working groups that would have specific agendas that would meet more frequently in an effort to achieve agreed upon goals.
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