China in Africa: growing backlash against ‘racism’, economic exploitation

A recent opinion poll found that China is now more popular in Africa than the United States. Yet, this popularity apparently goes hand in hand with a backlash the Chinese face in a growing number of African countries, with many accusing them of “malicious” behavior.

According to a recent Gallup polling, 58% of respondents in Africa approve of China versus 56% for the US. While China generally continues to remain popular amongst Africans, for years, however, many have speculated about China’s real intentions on the African continent. Several cases of perceived Chinese “malicious” behavior have recently made headlines across Africa.

A video claiming to show a Chinese man whipping African workers has gained massive traction on social media, though this is not the first time that such incidents have been reported. In April last year, a similar report highlighted the ill-treatment of African workers by Chinese project managers. This has prompted a heated debate among viewers on how the Chinese treat the Africans like ‘trans-Atlantic slaves’, leading some to express the view that the former are ‘fare more racist than the White man’ in Africa.

Meanwhile, several gold mines in northern Niger managed by a Chinese company were ordered to temporarily shut down after herders around the town of Tablet complained that dozens of their animals died from drinking wastewater. They had pointed to Chinese-own Sahara SARL’s mines as the only explanation for their animals’ deaths, saying the region was not suffering from drought or any epidemics.

An official report is said to have confirmed that “the catastrophe” was caused by chemical products used in the Chinese-controlled mines that threaten the water table. Another recent high-profile case involving Chinese business interests concerns the Asian powerhouse’s distant-water fishing vessels that have drawn scrutiny around the world.

A recent investigation by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), a London-based NGO, has revealed evidence that China’s distant-water fishing fleet, the world’s biggest in scale, commits environmental and labor abuses in the southwest Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa.