非洲国家出动大型代表团访问北京的景象越来越常见了。最近到访的代表团由南非总统雅各布•祖马(Jacob Zuma)带队。
中国现在是南非的最大贸易伙伴。的确，中国人正在非洲大陆各地洽谈业务、敲定交易。近期其它实例还包括，中国签约从莫桑比克进口煤炭，从尼日利亚进口石油。这些交易价值数十亿美元。非洲各地都冒出中国商人，同时，从莱索托到埃及，中国建筑企业建造了公路、铁路和楼房。
一些西方评论人士——还有一些非洲人士——强烈谴责中国与非洲大陆欣欣向荣的经贸往来，称这是一种新形式的殖民主义，建立在搜寻矿藏的基础上。但这些批评在很大程度上是站不住脚的。
由西方主导的各种发展战略无论本意多么美好，都没有打破非洲的欠发达循环。因此，中国方面本着理性商业逻辑做出、并起到提振就业和增长等实际作用的各项投资，带来了新的希望和另一条发展途径。中国方面正在建造的基础设施，也将对自然资源以外的产业产生积极的带动作用。中国商人已把廉价的消费品带到非洲。随之本国劳动力成本上升，中国制造商也许会对非洲产生新的兴趣，将非洲视为生产基地。
昔日的殖民列强并没有什么道义资本在非洲问题上对中国进行说教。再说，既然推崇了竞争的长处，那么对于自己在角逐非洲自然资源的过程中被中国以更高出价击败，西方就没有理由发出怨言。
但不可避免的是，对这一皆大欢喜的局面需要设定一些限度。非洲国家政府往往喜欢与中国方面做生意的原因之一是，中方不太可能将非洲国家政府内部的改进列为投资条件。这种务实、商业至上的态度有不少值得肯定之处。即便是在专制国家，投资通常也能造福于普通人。
但这是有限度的，或者说应当是有限度的。支撑苏丹和津巴布韦的邪恶政府（它们都是中方青睐的商业伙伴），对这两个国家的人民不会带来任何好处。最终，这将损害中国的声誉以及它在非洲的经济利益。中国政府以着眼中国自身的长远发展为傲。它应当把同样的“长远”逻辑应用到非洲，对自己的商业伙伴采取更具鉴别力的态度。
译者/和风
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001034308
The sight of large delegations from Africa in Beijing is becoming commonplace. The latest to arrive is led by President Jacob Zuma of South Africa.
China is now South Africa’s largest trading partner. Indeed, the Chinese are doing business and striking deals all over Africa. Other recent examples, worth billions to the recipient countries, include deals to import coal from Mozambique and oil from Nigeria. China’s traders pop up all over Africa, and its construction companies have built roads, railways and buildings from Lesotho to Egypt.
Some western commentators – and some Africans, too – have decried China’s burgeoning relationship with the continent as a new form of colonialism, based on the search for minerals. But such criticism is largely misplaced.
Western-led development strategies, however well meaning, did not break the cycle of under-development in Africa. So Chinese investments, made for sound business reasons and boosting employment and growth, offer new hope and an alternative way forward. The infrastructure that the Chinese are building will also have positive spin-off effects for industries outside of natural resources. Chinese traders have brought cheap consumer goods to Africa. And, as labour costs rise at home, Chinese manufacturers may look at Africa with new interest, as a base for production.
Former colonial powers are in a weak position to lecture China on Africa. And, having preached the virtues of competition, the west cannot really grumble about being outbid by the Chinese in the race for natural resources in Africa.
Yet, inevitably, there are qualifications to this happy picture. One reason that African governments often love doing business with the Chinese is that they are much less likely to condition their investments on improvements in government. This pragmatic, business-first attitude has a lot to be said for it. Investment, even in despotic countries, usually brings benefits to ordinary people.
But there are limits – or there should be. Propping up vicious governments in Sudan or Zimbabwe – both favoured business partners of the Chinese – does no favours to those countries’ people. Ultimately, it will damage the reputation of China and its economic interests in Africa. The Chinese government has prided itself on taking a long-term view of China’s own development. It should apply the same long-term logic to Africa – and take a more discerning attitude to its business partners.
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