The New Presence of China in Africa

The political impact of the Chinese in Sudan
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export more to China than it imports from it. That makes it easier for Sudan to
ask for weapons in exchange for its oil export, weapons which can then be used
in the south or in Darfur (see Box 7.1). However, China, as a large investor in the
Sudanese oil industry, is blamed for not doing enough to resolve the humanitarian
crisis in Darfur (Financial Times, 16 July, 2008).
Box 7.1
An overview of the weapons imported by Sudan from China
Croll et al. (2008) give an overview of the weapons imported by Sudan from China . They call
it a high-profile case of Chinese arms exports to Africa:
“Starting with the sale of helicopters and fighter aircrafts in the mid-1990s, the export of
military equipment to Khartoum has grown in line with the rising importance of Sudanese oil
for the Chinese economy. The range of military hardware includes anti-personnel and anti-tank
mines, T-59 tanks, 122 mm towed howitzers, assault rifles, machine guns and anti-aircraft guns,
as well as ammunition. According to Sudanese government sources, China has also provided the
expertise for the development of an indigenous Sudanese arms industry, but so far no verifiable
record of domestic production exists.”
Source: Croll et al. (2008)
Croll et al. (2008) conclude, “while Beijing ’s arms exports, like all Chinese-African
trade relations are characterized by a blatant disregard for human rights, China
is by no means the most important arms supplier to the continent”. 3 However,
the delivery of arms has certainly contributed to the escalation of the conflict in
Sudan.
A failed state is defined in terms of a government unable or unwilling to supply
basic services to its population. Ashkenazi et al. (2008) find that in the south,
public services are not applied in a uniform manner due to a lack of capacity and
security. This is causing resentment among returnees. They are facing conflicting
reactions, oscillating between feelings of respect and brotherhood to feelings
of suspicion and animosity from those who have stayed. The security situation,
as well as a lack of infrastructure, are major constraints for development in the
south. Abuses of power by the military in Southern Sudan appear to be common,
and acquisition of small arms by the general public remains endemic. The
conclusion is that there is little provision for the most vulnerable victims of the
war in Southern Sudan and that the majority of assistance comes from the nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs).
Sudan is one of the countries receiving a lot of aid, and not only from China .
The aid is often provided in a very uncoordinated way. The country is at the