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I don't think Chinese investment in Kenya (or the rest of Africa) is the same as colonization, at all. International trade and investment is a much more mutuall
by beat 8y ago
I don't think Chinese investment in Kenya (or the rest of Africa) is the same as colonization, at all. International trade and investment is a much more mutually beneficial relationship, with a strong track record of success. What's mostly different here is that China, rather then the US or Europe, is the dominant financial partner.
- monocasa 8y agoIt's pretty much textbook neo colonialism.
- beat 8y agoWhat does that even mean? Are there Chinese troops in Kenya? Is the government a puppet state? Don't just string buzzwords together, make a real argument that this is harmful, or comparable.
- monocasa 8y agoI'm not stringing buzzwords together, it's a concept that's more than fifty years old talking about colonialist effects via economic power instead of direct military or political power. > Neocolonialism, neo-colonialism, postmodern imperialism, or neo-imperialism is the practice of using capitalism, globalization and cultural imperialism to influence a developing country in lieu of direct military control (imperialism) or indirect political control (hegemony). It was coined by Kwame Nkrumah in the context of African countries undergoing decolonization in the 1960s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neocolonialism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neocolonialism
- qiqing 8y agoPeople make those broad claims because they never been colonized themselves, and it may not be worth your time educating them on the difference since they haven't experienced anything else. In my humble experience, they are disproportionately likely to be the descendants of colonizers and are sometimes uncomfortable with their own privilege.
- monocasa 8y agoLol, so Kwame Nkrumah has never been colonized? He's the one who defined the term.
- neolefty 8y agoIt's a learning experience too, for both China and African societies. I believe Chinese people and institutions working in these countries are finding themselves in positions of responsibility and connectedness that they didn't expect, and they seem to be (sometimes slowly) be finding creative ways forward.
- beat 8y agoInteresting perspective! And it makes some sense.