China’s Ties with Africa: Beyond the Hysteria
If questions about Sino-African relations could be reduced to their essence, these could be summarized as three main points. Firstly, China is not a unitary actor. Second, there is a degree of scapegoating of China and its alleged negative impacts upon Africa. Third, ultimately, it is up to African leaders to manage their relations with China to benefit their own economies and citizens.
Burma/Myanmar: The Chinese Dilemma
There has been considerable agitation among the many critics of the Myanmar military that China has been less than insistent on Burmese reforms as it continues to provide funding and support to the military junta. Whatever pressures China has brought on Myanmar -and they may have been considerable- have been relatively quiet and discreet in contrast to the U.S. and EU public demands for change. Yet reform in Burma is in the long-term interests of the Chinese Government.
