Thursday, April 15, 2010

CHINA AS A NEW (AND BETTER) IMPERIALIST: In The Atlantic. It goes something like this:

In its recent approach to Africa, China could not be more different from the West. It has focused on trade and commercially justified investment, rather than aid grants and heavily subsidized loans. It has declined to tell African governments how they should run their countries, or to make its investments contingent on government reform. And it has moved quickly and decisively, especially in comparison to many Western aid establishments. Moyo’s attitude toward the boom in Chinese business in Africa is amply revealed by the name of a chapter in her book: “The Chinese Are Our Friends.” Perhaps what Africa needs, she notes, is a reliable commercial partner, not a high-minded scold. And perhaps Africa should take its lessons from a country that has recently pulled itself out of poverty, not countries that have been rich for generations.

Have heard musings like this before, suggesting that when China takes over it'll be fairly hands off. Maybe we'll still get to play global cop! And the global hegemony will be shared between an economic power and a military power. Yeah, wonderful.

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