The China-Africa summit, officially called the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), has been held every three years since 2000. The latest conference, happening from 4th to 6th September, is the ninth edition. The meetings and eventual deals are meant to revolve around the themes of industrialisation, agricultural advancements, security, and cooperation regarding China’s Belt and Road initiative – a massive project aiming to link several continents to China with physical infrastructure.
China has been Africa’s best buddy for years now. How? By offering “development” in exchange for, well, almost everything. Need a railway? China’s got you. Some roads? Say no more. Oh, and by the way, some mega projects to extract minerals and fossil fuels. The cherry on top: they promise to help with renewable energy.
It’s the perfect balance of contradiction and convenience. Take EACOP for example: a 1,443 km long oil pipeline stretching from Uganda to Tanzania. It’s a monumental project brought to you by a group of benevolent corporations and governments, including—you guessed it—China. The pipeline is set to pump 216,000 barrels of oil per day from Uganda’s Tilenga oil fields to Tanzania’s coast. Just imagine all that liquid black gold, conveniently bypassing African citizens who would have benefited from actual sustainable development projects.
Fossil Fuels: Just helping African nations!
What’s better than a new fossil fuel project in 2024? Nothing, if you ask China. Despite the world panicking over climate change, China seems to have found the perfect solution to Africa’s energy poverty: more oil! Sure, it’s contributing to environmental destruction and a heating planet, but let’s focus on the bright side. The EACOP project will really help someone make a profit, and isn’t that what matters? TotalEnergies is happily saying a BIG yes!
In fact, China has always been about that win-win cooperation, right? Africa wins… with a lot of environmental problems, land disputes, and questionable economic benefits. And what about China you ask? Well, they get the oil, the minerals, and a bit more control over global supply chains. China has sent hundreds of thousands of workers to Africa to build its megaprojects, while tapping into the continent’s vast natural resources. It’s a classic case of a “toxic friendship” where one friend keeps all the toys and lets the other one play with the empty boxes.
Speaking of resources, Africa is practically swimming in them. Cobalt, copper, lithium—you name it, Africa’s got it. These are the essential ingredients for China’s booming electric vehicle industry and green tech revolution. Of course, China is kind enough to help Africa dig them up. After all, who needs minerals sitting under the ground when they can be shipped out to Chinese factories and transformed into gadgets we all desperately need, like electric scooters for city commuters? And don’t worry, China’s not just taking the minerals. They’re also leaving behind something special: environmental degradation, displacement of local communities, and a legacy of dependency on non-renewable energy sources. It’s all part of the “give and take” spirit of their partnership.
Climate change? huuuuum…never heard of it.
You might be wondering: But what about climate change? Isn’t the world moving away from fossil fuels? Excellent question! China is, of course, fully committed to green energy… as soon as they’ve extracted all the oil and minerals they need. In fact, they’ve generously offered to help African countries develop solar and wind energy—once the fossil fuels are fully tapped and there’s a new crisis to address. Li Yonghong, deputy director of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment’s Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center, highlighted the achievements made through platforms such as the China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center and the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition in which more than 170 partners from 40 countries, including seven African nations are part of.
According to Li, China has trained over 1,500 participants from African countries in areas such as environmental management, pollution control, the green economy and climate change to boost capacity in green development. The coalition has promoted green industry cooperation by implementing eco-friendly technologies such as photovoltaic power generation, wastewater treatment and electric vehicles in participating countries, Li said, adding that “green and low-carbon development has become a key aspect of China-Africa cooperation”. However China is supporting the controversial EACOP pipeline set to be a carbon bomb in Africa with devastating consequences.
In fact, EACOP developers are turning to Chinese state-backed entities to raise the required financing. China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation (commonly referred to as “SINOSURE”) and China Reinsurance Corporation (commonly referred to as “China Re”) are now vital to the advancement of this controversial $5 billion pipeline.
What should China do? 350Africa got the answer
- Stop the Pipeline: Withdraw the support of Chinese state-owned entities for EACOP and support for Uganda’s & Tanzania’s renewable energy development instead.
- Invest more in renewables: Invest in Decentralized Renewable Energy systems and other green energy solutions to light up people’s lives and boost their economies.
Right now African climate activists are launching REPower Afrika – a campaign to speed up the shift away from fossil fuels to distributed, community-led renewable energy. Communities along the route of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) are the first frontline of this struggle for a better future powered by renewable energy in the hands of the people. FOCAC 2024 could be a great chance for China to show it really cares about the environment by supporting initiatives of this kind. We hope this summit won’t be just about making big promises. China could be a true leader in green energy by stopping the EACOP project and focusing on just, equitable and fair energy transition.