China in Africa

So my intern called me early this morning to explain that she couldn't come to work because all the roads were closed. Chinese President Hu Jintao is visiting Mali and the Malian government has been busy closing down roads for him and declaring public holidays for civil servants (everyone got off a half day yesterday so they could line the streets for his arrival). Granted Mali has a population of 11 million and is one of the world's poorest countries, so it seems like a pretty big deal that the President of the world's largest state would spend the first two days of his Africa tour in Mali (He will also visit Senegal, Tanzania, and Mauritius). It was pretty cool to watch the news footage of him getting of the plane, the troops of Malian dancers and soldiers that greeted him. Drissa and I debated whether or not this type of thing could happen in the US. I explained to Drissa that Mali's population is not much larger than NJ's - so its sorta like if the President of China came to visit NJ. Drissa contends that NJ state employees would still not get half a day off for the visit. Regardless, in this age of democracy it is difficult to see this kind of spectacle - the moblization of the entire population for a grand welcome.

China gets a lot of bad press about their involvement in Africa - collaborating with the Northern Sudanese government, no-strings attached aid to countries like Angola, displacing indigenous manufacturers. Much of this is deserved. However, in Mali their material contribution is apparent. In a world where few donors want to fund large infastructure projects - the Chinese are all about it. They have built quite a few strutures in Mali already - but their newest contributions will be a hospital in Sikasso (I learned this from the billboard overlooking the highway) and a 3rd bridge for Bamako. For anyone who doesn't live in Bamako, it is hard to explain how amazing/important a third bridge would be. The Niger slices Bamako in half and everyday, commuters travel on one of two bridges to get to their job, go to market, or whatever business they have on the other side of the river. One bridge is just one way traffic from 7-10 or so and then reverse traffic from 4-6. You sit in line waiting to get on the bridge for an hour or so (without traffic this trip takes like 5 minutes) breathing in exhaust waiting for the cars to squeeze single file into the line for the bridge. A third bridge will clear up traffic, but also enable an entire economy and community farther up stream where the bridge will cross the river. Bamako will go from having two overworked arteries to three less-overworked arteries.

I can't quite understand the Chinese goodwill campaign. It is not unlike Libya's efforts to appear as a benevolent benefactor (thought Khaddafi's are of a much more personal nature). However, Libya is less efficient and has left Bamako littered with quite a few unfinished government buildings. But why the billboards proclaiming Chinese investment in Mali? Billboards of not - Malians respect that work of the Chinese. They might complain about the lack of quality in Chinese products but know that it is grace a la Chinese plastic motorcycle that many people don't have to walk or take public transit. Air Pollution definitely!! But between the cell phone/plastic moto explosion here in Bamako - I can say that things have really changed since 2002.