China’s rising stature as the world’s second largest economy is being consolidated by the country’s increasing role as a responsible leader of the international community. With its Belt and Road Initiative it is forging close economic, political and cultural relations with all continents and countries irrespective of their political systems and practices. A case in point is its relations with Africa. On July 19 Chinese President Xi Jinping left on a tour of five African countries – the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Senegal, South Africa, Rwanda and Mauritius.
“The visits will promote the further deepening of political mutual trust, mutual development assistance, mutual learning on each other’s concepts between China and Africa and the building of a closer China-Africa community of common destiny,” said China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
His visit to UAE is the first by a Chinese Head of State in 29 years. It was 9 years since a Chinese Head of State visited Senegal last. His trip to Rwanda will be the first by a Chinese President. In South Africa, which he is visiting for the third time he will attend the 10th BRICS Summit to be held in Johannesburg from July 25-27. The Summit is expected to enhance cooperation among its members in the fields of economy, politics and culture. Besides the BRICS Summit the Chinese President will also take part in the 20th Anniversary celebrations of establishing diplomatic relations between China and South Africa.
His tour will be marked by bilateral discussions with African leaders and the signing of several treaties in each country. It will also boost preparations for the Forum on China - Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to be held in Beijing in September this year.
China surpassed the United States as Africa’s largest trade partner in 2009 and is at present fast catching up with the US to become the highest investor too. At present it is the second highest investor with over US $ 60 billion investments.
What happened at Helsinki?
All eyes were focused on Helsinki last week when the leaders of the world’s two foremost nuclear powers the United States and Russia – Presidents Trump and Putin met for unprecedented talks.
The Summit hailed by both leaders as a “success" is now being challenged by opponents, principally in the United States as a “betrayal”, a “sell-out” to Russia and President Trump is accused of becoming a “puppet of KGB operative Putin”. No words are spared in criticizing Trump.
He is even accused of “treason”. So what happened in Helsinki is still a debatable point. The entire furor is based on a wrong premise. It reduces to a reaction to an alleged Russian interference in the United States Presidential election in 2016. Russia is accused of interfering in the elections to secure a victory for Trump against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Russian hackers are said to have infiltrated the website of Democratic Party and divulged confidential information. In fact, Robert Mueller, the US Attorney investigating the allegation had indicted 12 Russian military officials over the crime.
Russia denies the charges and President Putin told President Trump that US investigators are welcome to visit Russia and interrogate the accused military personnel. However, the US Congress has passed a resolution against such a visit. Incidentally, the Investigating Authority into the election meddling is none other than Robert Mueller who was responsible for misinforming President George W Bush about the existence of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) which led to the Iraqi War of 2003. Such interference, even if it had taken place, is not an extra-ordinary development in global politics.
World powers always interfere in elections in other countries in pursuit of their national interests. The United States has been funding opposition groups in Russia, funding them and even instigating ‘regime change’. The US has been caught pants down many a time in manipulating elections in El Salvador, Chile, Nicaragua and a host of Third World countries.
What the world public expects and what the nuclear power leaders are duty bound is to ease global tensions and ensure the reduction of nuclear weaponry and avert nuclear war. It is sad to say that conservative elements linked to Wall Street and the military- industrial complex in the United States are undermining this important objective and prioritizing a relatively minor issue. Prof. Stephen F Cohen of the Princeton University is of the opinion that the mere meeting of the two foremost nuclear powers is worth to improve the deteriorated relations between them. President Trump blamed both Russia and the United States for this unprecedented deterioration.
Taken in that perspective, the Helsinki Summit has been a success despite the lack of concrete progress on specific issues. As President Trump said it is a good beginning. President Putin was also invited to visit Washington and talks are already on way on the matter despite the opposition in the Congress.
In view of the strong opposition President Trump has retraced some of his steps and accepted the verdict of the US Intelligence community on the election meddling issue, in a manner so characteristic of him.
Whatever it is, he has gone far in developing a pragmatic approach to foreign policy issues instead of his election campaign rhetoric. Geo-politics and the compulsion of world public opinion are hard to circumvent.
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