Chinese politico-economic model: Why it excels in China but flops in Africa

 Prof Arthur Mutambara

Diverse views have been expressed about the Chinese socio-economic model. These range from the Chinese themselves who, of course, uncritically praise their system as a faultless model, their competitors in the West who condemn it outright as reprehensible and undesirable, and Africans who are mixed, confused, and thought-out emotions.

Some folks from the continent, who are unquestioning disciples of the market, naively, unscientifically and primitively denounce the Chinese model primarily on behalf of their Western associates or because of their terrible experiences with, or fears of, a disempowering and corrupt one-party state.

Misguided notions

This disparaging and disdainful African attitude is exacerbated by the parasitic and self-serving nature of some of the current (and past) Chinese business expeditions in the continent. ‘The Beijing model is a non-starter. It leads to a corrupt one-party state. That system is evil. In any case, look at how the Chinese are short-changing us in business deals on the continent.’ That is the African pontificating in both ignorance and despair, ad nauseum, ad infinitum.

Most Africans, who defend, eulogise, and embrace the Chinese political and economic system are usually unrepentant despots with an insatiable affinity for undemocratic practice, one-party state system, misgovernance, and corruption.

However, they do not express their diabolic intentions publicly. Instead, they say: ‘Development is more important than democracy. Let us follow the Chinese way and attain economic transformation. We must pick up lessons from China.’ Of course, learning from China is what they do not do.

Well, both groups of Africans are wrong in their assessment of the Chinese model. Their critiques are as unsound as they are unscientific. Indeed, there is poverty and a dearth of analysis with respect to the efficacy of the Chinese political and economic system.

China and Africa

Right from the start, let us state the summarised factual and empirical position, which we can demonstrate and explain in the ensuing discussion. The Chinese model has worked for China and the Chinese people. There is no question about that. However, no African country has been able to replicate this model in its entirety effectively. Hence, no African country has unlocked any of the positive attributes that China has enjoyed.

Furthermore, Chinese business activities on the continent have largely failed to advance African economies.

In some cases, the Chinese have ruined African economies by egregious natural resource stripping without beneficiation, ruinous financing arrangements and supporting and sustaining despotic regimes. Hence the Chinese model has neither benefitted Africa as a transportable developmental model nor as a basis for commercial diplomacy, trade, and economic partnership.

Yes, the Chinese model and activities have not and will not likely benefit Africa in the future. Yes, African state capitalism (efforts to replicate the Chinese model) has failed in Africa. These are fair observations. However, one cannot judge the Chinese model by African failures to replicate it. There are good reasons why this decontextualized adoption of the model, has been unsuccessful.

More importantly, the Chinese relationship with Africa post-liberation has been, for the most part, parasitic and self-serving. This has damaged Africa while benefiting China. You cannot blame China for that. We must blame ourselves. The Chinese folks coming to do business in post-independent Africa are not the comrades of Chairman Mau’s era. They are shrewd businesspeople. In most cases shrewder and savvier than their Western counterparts. They are viciously and mercilessly chasing cash. The Chinese in Africa are not Father Christmas. There is no love, comradeship or charity involved. Just cash.

If the African is disorganized, does not put together a capable technocratic team selected on merit, they will be shafted by the Chinese. They do not think twice of taking advantage of an incompetent and desperate government. When that happens, why do we blame the Chinese? We must blame our incorrigibly incompetent and corrupt selves.

Even the so-called donations from China to African countries, are not exactly free. Each freebie is tied to a commercial sale in which the African has no say in the unit price.

More significantly, why we are approaching China as small, fragmented states without bargaining power? We must not engage with China as individual countries. No. We are too small to unlock any meaningful economic value as individual nations. We get short-changed. Even South Africa, with 58.6 million people and a US$351 billion GDP, is too small to engage with China meaningfully. The same applies to Nigeria. With its population of 201 million and a GDP of US $448 billion.

We must engage with China as one continental economic bloc – the African Union (AU) and its AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area). This is a colossal economy consisting of a population and marketing of 1.3 billion Africans, a potential GDP of US $2.5 trillion and a massive collective resource base.

Indeed, there are many good reasons why the Africa-China relationships have not benefited Africa. However, these terrible African experiences cannot be transplanted into a simplistic dictum that the Chinese model does not work. No. The Chinese model has worked exceptionally well for China. Period. Whether it has helped Africa or will help Africa is a different conversation.

Model strengths

The Chinese model (socio-economic and political system) is about relationship – visionary, strategic, technocratic, and meritocratic leadership. It is driven by a long-term shared national vision, strategic thinking, strategic planning, effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

All this is anchored by a hard work ethic, national cohesion, profound self-belief, efficient use of national resources and zero tolerance to corruption. Chinese values, history, traditions, and philosophy inform and inspire the model. The socio-economic and political system is characterized by unrelenting commitment to, and effective deployment of high technology and advanced science as the drivers of economic development and transformation.

-Professor Arthur Mutambara is the former Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Technology and Strategy Consultant, and Public Speaker. The views expressed here are his own and does not reflect the stand of the management of City Review.