The “war” between China and Japan in Africa

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited to Mozambique last month. He promised to help Africa to create job and provided hundreds of millions of dollars in aids. Abe told to the BBC that Japan “cannot provide African leaders with beautiful houses or beautiful ministerial buildings.” Instead, Japan’s policy is “to really aid the human capital of Africa.” It caused a war of words.

Lu Shaye who is the head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s African affairs department defended to Abe. He said  China is “sincere,” Mr. Lu said, “unlike some countries”. He also said Japan aims to getting resources and markets and wanting to compete with China and to win votes at the United Nations.

China always keep the good relationship with African countries. China financed majority infrastructure projects in Africa, Such as government buildings, roads and railways. The resources are regarded as the payment by the Africa countries to the Chinese government. Actually, some Africans have become resentful, though, unhappy with unbalanced relationships in which China has taken proprietorship of African natural resources using Chinese labor and equipment without transferring skills and technology. “China takes our primary goods and sells us manufactured ones. This was also the essence of colonialism,” Lamido Sanusi, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

If Japan takes share in Africa, it will damage the profits of China. Therefor, China cannot loss this “war”.