Former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's first diplomatic trip to sub-Saharan Africa from March 6 to 13, which dramatically turned out to be his swan-song visit, had captured much attention from the global media with his "untrue" remarks about China-Africa relations. The main aim of his tour was to repair the damage in U.S.-Africa relations caused by President Trump's derogatory remarks on the world's second most populous continent while countering China's astonishing influence in Africa.

No doubt, Tillerson's visit to Africa was stifled with his strident criticism of China's growing economic engagement in Africa. His insipient remarks about China-Africa relations shed light on the fact that the United States has become baffled by China's growing relationship with African countries since the world's second largest economy has displaced the U.S. as Africa's traditional partner in terms of trade, investment and aid. 

Before embarking on his visit to Africa, while delivering a speech at George Mason University in the U.S. on March 2, Tillerson criticized China's model of economic development in Africa, saying it encouraged dependency and indebtedness. 

To quote his verbatim: "Chinese investment does have the potential to address Africa's infrastructure gap, but its approach has led to mounting debt and few if any jobs in most countries." Tillerson added, "When coupled with political and fiscal pressure, this endangers Africa's natural resources and its long-term economic and political stability."

In the light of his speech, it can be said that whether Chinese investment in Africa has led to mounting debt or not, should be judged by Africans, not by Americans. Perhaps, Abebe Aynete, a senior researcher with the Ethiopian Foreign Relations Strategic Studies Institute, gave a fitting reply to Tillerson's bizarre allegation, "Beijing is a better partner for Africa than Washington because Chinese investment has improved people's lives here."

Tillerson's remarks are nothing but distorted truth which only exhibits the United States' biased views of China. Quite expectedly, Tillerson's words drew a wave of criticism from China and other countries also. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rightly said that it was inappropriate for Tillerson to criticize China's relationship with African countries. 

Needless to say, Tillerson's warning to Africa about Chinese investment is unreasonable and arrogant as Chinese investments in the infrastructure sector, agriculture and other sectors in Africa have become a boon to the lives of ordinary Africans that are "plain to see."

But unfortunately, Tillerson through a clouded lens dubbed Chinese investment in African countries as "predatory economics." His suggestion is thus that African countries should be careful not to forfeit their sovereignty when they accept loans from China, the continent's biggest trading partner.

Certainly, the following facts given by Chinese ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian, as published on Peoples' Daily Online on March 12 are sufficient enough to understand China's beneficial nature in Africa: "China and its enterprises have invested over 100 billion U.S. dollars on the continent, built over 6,500 km of railways, 6,000 km of highways, over 200 schools and 80 sports stadiums. China has created jobs, transferred skills and technology and changed the lives of the African people." It is hoped that the U.S. does not hide these noticeable projects. 

The five largest Chinese-built railways in Africa including the Ethio-Djibouti Railway and the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway are the best-known examples of China's commitment to Africa's development. The Export Import Bank of China is providing financial support to build Angola's first deepwater port which is projected to create more than 30,000 jobs under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The stark reality is that the U.S. or the West is in no position to lecture China on Africa. Truly, the U.S. has lost its credibility in African countries. African leaders and people begin to believe that Trump's "America First" policy has become as "America Last" to Africa because the amount of U.S. aid to Africa has been declining in recent years.

Ousted Tillerson and his boss must listen to what Zimbabwean Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo said, "Africa has its own self-determination in terms of charting its own course, in terms of economic co-operation with any member of nations in the international arena." When Tillerson warned African countries about China's low interest "debt trap," citing examples of China's Djibouti Logistics Support Base, the Djiboutian foreign minister, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, hailed China as "a very good partner."

Over the past 16 years under the umbrella of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China has become a significant force in Africa's development. A lot of Chinese tech companies such as Huawei, Xiaomi, Tecno are becoming some of the key players in Africa's booming market, creating local jobs. Huawei has been providing training opportunities in China for young South Africans since 2014. As such, the U.S. should not dramatize China's financial aid to African countries as pure "money relations" or "debt traps."

It is unrealistic to think that China is plundering Africa's natural resources under the guise of long-term investments in Africa. China has never attached conditions such as attaching its political system to its foreign aid to the world as compared with the Western superpowers like the United States. It can be hoped the United States should shed its mental inhibitions about the relationship between China and Africa and should work with China in improving lives on the continent as it benefits both countries.

Rabi Sankar Bosu, Secretary of New Horizon Radio Listeners' Club, West Bengal, India

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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