Anti Chinese Protests in Three Continents

By Suhail Guptil

There have been protests in three countries located on three continents in the past few weeks. The common thread tying these disparate protests is the presence of the Chinese investments. For over a month, the Gwadar port city in Pakistan has been rocked by large-scale protests. The visuals from these protests, posted by international media such as the BBC, suggest the large-scale participation of men and women, which indicates the prevalence of deep discontent in the local population.

The protestors had wide-ranging demands, including the provision of clean drinking water, better educational facilities, improved healthcare infrastructure, removal of unnecessary check-post, and easy cross border trade with border towns in Iran. In June, the Dawn newspaper reported that the federal government decision to grant Chinese trawlers fishing rights in Gwadar had prompted protests from local fishermen. Therefore, it is not surprising that issues pertaining to fishing, such as easy access to the sea and restricting the fishing mafia, also figure in the protesters’ demands. There is also deep anguish that locals are not getting employed in various projects implemented in the region. Reportedly, there is an opinion that the Chinese firms developing the port have deployed a large number of personnel from outside Gwadar. Therefore, protestors are also demanding better employment opportunities for the locals.

While large scale infrastructure projects, such as ports, airports, stadiums are becoming operational in Gwadar, basic amenities such as drinking water did not receive adequate attention. These protests suggest that there is a lack of confidence that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects will deliver positive economic outcomes. As Maulana Hidayat, one of the protest movement leaders, noted: ?When the Gwadar port has brought no prosperity to those living in its vicinity, what good can it do for the people in the rest of the country??

Chinese investments in Africa also came under considerable scrutiny in the recent past. Towards the end of November, there were reports that China may soon take control of Entebbe International Airport in Uganda. Such speculation reportedly stemmed from a parliamentary probe report that noted that the provisions pertaining to a loan taken from China enable attachment of government assets. However, the Ugandan government officials and the Chinese embassy in Uganda quickly refuted the allegations that China may soon take over the airport. Even before the conversations pertaining to Chinese loans to Uganda could subside, the financial commitments made by Beijing at the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)generated considerable discussion. There were reports suggesting that China proposed reducing its investments in Africa. Sun Yun reflecting on the FOCAC deliberations, noted that ?the amount of financial commitment, the number of promised projects and opportunities, and the relatively thin content of the action items together illustrate China?s cutback of activities on the African continent.?

In a tragic development, towards the end of November, five Chinese nationals were kidnapped in Congo. The kidnapping threw a spotlight on Chinese mining activities and their interactions with local authorities as well as the population. According to the South China Sea Morning Post report, ?in August South Kivu authorities suspended the work of half a dozen Chinese-financed companies after residents accused them of mining for gold without permission wrecking the environment.? It is possible to argue that China is likely to run into a few law-and-order issues given the large-scale investments across the African continent. However, Bruno Martorano and Francesco Iacoella (United Nations University), Laura Metzger (Harvard University), Marco Sanfilippo (Universit? di Torino) in their paper argue that ?regions [in Africa] hosting Chinese-led projects are more likely to experience protests.? They contend that ?lack of transparency in loan conditions? makes ?Chinese finance .. prone to being used by local elites,? which may engender protests by locals.

Towards the end of November, there were also large-scale protests in the Solomon Islands and large parts of the Chinatown in the capital city Honiara was subjected to arson. The protests have roots in the decision of the prime minister to recognise China instead of Taiwan in 2019. Around the same time, a few senior politicians published a letter stating the long-term interests of the Islands ?in terms of our development aspirations, as well as respect for democratic principles, human rights, the rule of law, human dignity, and mutual respect ? lie with Taiwan, not the PRC [People’s Republic of China].? The interethnic tensions are also getting reflected in the foreign policy, with people from Malaita island preferring to maintain a closer relationship with Taiwan and the United States. Meanwhile, Australia has announced that it will be dispatching a small contingent of police and military officers to improve law and order in the Solomon Islands.

Interestingly, in the past four or five weeks, Chinese investments and foreign policy have resulted in protests in three different regions ? in Asia, Africa, and Oceania.

Some reports elucidate the Chinese ?elite capture tactic to make rapid economic inroads in various countries. However, the developments in the past few weeks demonstrate that the elite capture tactic for economic gains is encountering popular resistance.

These protests also highlight the limitations in Chinese BRI and external economic engagement strategies. China often seeks to operationalise big-ticket projects without reference to local HDI, amenities and responsiveness of local governance frameworks to basic needs. The absence of revenue/profit generation with locals or positive spill-overs for the local economy engenders negative perceptions regarding Chinese economic engagement.

It needs to be seen if the reduced Chinese investment in Africa is a temporary phenomenon or a long-term trend. If the Chinese economy does not register a quick economic recovery, then it is distinctly possible that Chinese investments in Africa may register a downward trend in the long term. Such a development may open up space for other countries to indulge in healthy economic interactions.