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Is really a friendly trade or just plounder? https://dialogue.earth/en/pollution/741-china-s-environmental-footprint-in-africa/ https://dialogue.earth/en/pollu

Is really a friendly trade or just plounder? https://dialogue.earth/en/pollution/741-china-s-environmental-footprint-in-africa/ https://dialogue.earth/en/pollution/741-china-s-environmenta... The Chinese oil company Sinopec has been charged with mass pollution, dynamiting areas of a National Park in Gabon and carving roads through the forest According to GlobalTimber.org.uk, China is sourcing huge amounts of wood from forests in Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Liberia. What is worrying is the illegal nature of this trade Half of all wood imported from Cameroon into China is harvested illegally. In Gabon, 70% of wood exports to China are illegal. In Liberia 100% is illegal The case of Nigeria and its Niger Delta oilfields is well known as an environmental disaster area

FooBarWidget 2y ago
Due to the scale, of course there are problems. Of course there are actors that are not well behaved. But that doesn't mean that these incidents are representative of the whole. Put it another way: if on the whole China's business is not net positive, then why does Africa continue to do business with China? Nothing prevents them from kicking all Chinese companies out. Nothing prevents them from giving fines to companies that violate the law. Nothing prevents them from renegotiating. African leaders have been saying for years that China's contributions are still net positive despite problems existing. I am puzzled. Why are you still pointing out problems? Why are you ignoring everything else I said? This is so non-constructive. Africa does not need the west to give another lecture (pointing out problems only). It needs the west to walk the talk: instead of smearing, offer Africans a better alternative than both China and inaction. Offer solutions, and actually deliver them.
- pvaldes 2y ago
  >> 100% of the wood in Liberia is exported to China illegally. > doesn't mean that [100%] are representative of the whole
  - FooBarWidget 2y ago
    Liberia is not the only African country. Liberia also exported significant amount of illegal Timber to other countries, including western countries, so framing this as a uniquely China problem is misleading and disingenuous. Now stop dodging and answer the other parts. Of is that too uncomfortable?

FooBarWidget 2y ago

Due to the scale, of course there are problems. Of course there are actors that are not well behaved. But that doesn't mean that these incidents are representative of the whole. Put it another way: if on the whole China's business is not net positive, then why does Africa continue to do business with China? Nothing prevents them from kicking all Chinese companies out. Nothing prevents them from giving fines to companies that violate the law. Nothing prevents them from renegotiating. African leaders have been saying for years that China's contributions are still net positive despite problems existing. I am puzzled. Why are you still pointing out problems? Why are you ignoring everything else I said? This is so non-constructive. Africa does not need the west to give another lecture (pointing out problems only). It needs the west to walk the talk: instead of smearing, offer Africans a better alternative than both China and inaction. Offer solutions, and actually deliver them.

pvaldes 2y ago
>> 100% of the wood in Liberia is exported to China illegally. > doesn't mean that [100%] are representative of the whole
- FooBarWidget 2y ago
  Liberia is not the only African country. Liberia also exported significant amount of illegal Timber to other countries, including western countries, so framing this as a uniquely China problem is misleading and disingenuous. Now stop dodging and answer the other parts. Of is that too uncomfortable?