A benign influence

Imitation, they say, is the sincerest form of flattery. If that is the case, then China should feel extremely flattered by the European Union's summit with Africa this month. The EU had been scheduled to hold a summit with African countries in 2003, but it was repeatedly postponed because the Europeans did not want Robert Mugabe, the president of Zimbabwe, to attend in view of his country's human rights record. The other African countries had refused to take part if he was excluded.

China, which prides itself on not interfering in other nations' internal affairs, has been holding ministerial meetings with Africa regularly since 2000, when it set up the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation, culminating in a summit in Beijing last year, attended by leaders from 48 African countries, including Mr Mugabe.

Although the EU is still Africa's biggest trading partner, China's inroads into that continent have set alarm bells ringing across Europe. And so, to preserve its own interests, the EU set aside its distaste for Mr Mugabe, although Britain's Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, boycotted the meeting.

The EU-Africa summit did not go well: African countries rejected European proposals for a new economic partnership agreement, which have been criticised for not providing protection for Africa's poor farmers and fragile industry.

China's policy of non-interference has been condemned by some for ignoring human rights abuses. Other critics have described China's policy in Africa as one of neocolonialism, a designation strongly rejected by Beijing and its African friends.

Actually, China's record in Africa is getting a favourable reappraisal. World Bank president Robert Zoellick said recently after a four-day trip to China that, while there was a legitimate concern that Chinese loans were raising the indebtedness of African countries, 'China has paid attention to debt sustainability and there is certainly a strong willingness to discuss that issue'.

He said the World Bank was planning to develop one or more projects in Africa jointly with China's Exim Bank next year.