Zimbabwe: China Withdraws Support for Mugabe Regime

I've just read a headline I've been anticipating for some time.

China, Zimbabwe's biggest trading partner and source of aid (in no small part because the rest of the world has embargoed it!) announced it will cut off all non-humanitarian support for Robert Mugabe's regime according to Lord Malloch Brown, Britain's foreign minister.

This is BIG NEWS, at least from where I'm standing. 

China's also gotten tougher on Sudan of late. Perhaps the powers that be in Beijing believe they might gain more by playing better with the international community. 

At the very least, they can smell change in the air.  Zimbabwe's no longer bankable, no longer a country in which to make long-term investments in industries or in people. Politically, I get the sense that things could turn in any number of directions at any moment. 

This isn't the Cold War anymore.  China was cozy with Zimbabwe and sold them all the neat internet filtering and radio jamming technologies its own government so enthusiastically employs.  But it was never about ideology.  It was about strategic interest.  And for whatever reason, China's decided it's no longer in its interest to throw its weight behind Robert Mugabe.

(From the Daily Telegraph) Lord Malloch Brown said he had been informed of the change by Liu Guijin, China's new special envoy on African issues. He said he hoped China would join the rest of the international community in refusing to "offer a lifeline" to Mr Mugabe's failed regime, which has led to near universal unemployment and record inflation.

Privately, diplomats believe that while Zimbabwe once seemed like an opportunity for China to make diplomatic gains in an area abandoned by Western countries, Beijing had been unable to avoid the evidence of the harm being done to Zimbabwe's people.

It was hard to see what long-term result China could get when Zimbabwe failed to meet basic standards of economic discipline

• "Zimbabwe: China to Withdraw Support for Mugabe Regime" (SW Radio Africa)
• "China is to withdraw backing for Mugabe" (Daily Telegraph)
   

Comments

[Francis L. Holland]

On an entirely different subject, what do you suppose engenders more controversy in a Black family? Being gay or marrying a white woman? That's the question I explore in an essay today, entitled,

"Gays, White Women, Controversy and Acceptance in a Black Family."

[Amy]

Chinese government want to be on good terms with all naitons. So it can have a peaceful enviroment to develop ecnomics.

[John J. Coupal]

It seems more likely that China is concerned that countries will boycott the Olympic Games next year in China.

China appears to feel a need to clean up its act so that it doesn't seem to befriend and aid every world tyrant.

Since Mugabe is a Marxist, it's about China's support for a common ideology, too.

[Simba]

China denies stopping aid to Zimbabwe-- Click to read...

China rallies behind Mugabe-- Click to read...

[Zimbel]

"no longer a country in which to make long-term investments in industries or in people."
-I'd be hesitant on short-term investments, with their inflation rate (estimated to rise to 6 digits by years end, according to the IMF).

They need a change. Mugabe may have done wonderful things for his populace in the past, but the combination of poorly managed land reforms, the elimination of British foreign aid, and the essential killing off of the cattle industry (due the the land reforms) has destroyed their economy. I hope that the coming change isn't violent, but I don't have my hopes up particularly high.

[BRE]

Question: Why has the PRC suddenly decided to withdraw support for the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe?

Answer: Because the Beijing powers that be, whether political or business powers, have been read the "Riot Act" by their major trading partners, that's why. Same deal with China's change of heart in Sudan.

Beijing is under enormous pressure on many fronts re: a long dirty laundry list of problems and issues with the so-called West. It can no longer afford to prop-up despots and kleptomaniacs like Mugabe and Bashir and at the same time claim to have Win-Win foreign policy and economic relationships with the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and European countries. The efforts of grassroots initiatives against the PRC's dubious foreign and economic policies in Africa and elsewhere are also beginning to bite and bite hard.

The thing that we all must remember is that the damage is already done to the suffering people in Zimbabwe and Sudan and Chad and the DRC and and and...

Let's see how much the PRC government is willing to cough up in cash and "real development assistance" in the near and long term to fix what they helped to breakdown in Zimbabwe: people's dignity and self-respect and hopes for good governance and a brighter future for themselves and their children.

How much will it cost China to help fix these critical rights and can they pay?

[Ming the Merciless]

Re: addressing BRE's comments, last two paragraphs:

i think you should be aware that the Chinese government's money is actually money of ordinary Chinese people who WORK long hours in sh1tty conditions for miserable wages.
We are not so rich that we can afford to throw money down a sinkhole. We actually would like to accrue some kind of benefit, such as goodwill for our largesse. Resource deals and other trade agreements are welcome too, being more permanent than your gratitude. If not, i would request that you return our "development assistance". I assure you that ordinary Chinaman on the street who is bewildered that China continues to throw aid at Africa when it is needed at home, will be most grateful.

[Ming the Merciless]

I don't care about western criticism about Chinese dealings with Africans, their record is for all to see. I do however care about how Africans view things.

I find the idea that China should put more pressure African leaders to be a bit queer. Aren't Africans capable of deciding what their own countries need? Or are they less intelligent than say, Mia Farrow or Bob Geldof. Do you think African nations should be run by the whims of western media-whores and opinion polls?

WHY do you want us to tell you what leaders are acceptable?
WHY do you want us to tell you how to run your own country?
WHY do you want us to use badly needed aid to develop scarce infrastructure as strings to manipulate your leaders to do our bidding?
WHY on earth would you want us to emulate the Euros???

China, itself is not yet even clear of "3rd world sh1thole" status, being closer to India than America. It is an oligarchy, a near dictatorship ruled a few. We have human right deficiencies, wealth deficiencies, equality deficiencies etc... on a magnitude only a country with 1.3 billion people can experience.

This system barely works, for now, but we hardly think we are in a position to lecture your leaders on democracy and human rights. We have our hands full getting our house in order, thank you very much. The relevance to Africa? We want your resources and access to your markets, and we are willing to pay.

If China does not work with the Africans who are in power in their own countries, who would you suggest China should negotiate with?

Would you have us take a leaf out of Western playbook when it comes to very dirty cost-effective resource extraction? Katanga province anybody?

[Ming the Merciless]

Again regarding BRE's comment:

I think your comment is $exi$t, raci$t and anti-$emitic. You have deeply hurt the feeling$ of the Chine$e people. I want you fix what you helped to breakdown in China: people'$ dignity and $elf-respect and hope$ for good governance and a brighter future for them$elve$ and their children.

How much will it cost you to help fix these critical right$ and can you pay?

I can Bull$hit too...

[China Africa Trade]

Many would argue this is a good thing. Now who will Mugabe turn to?