Can Relations between Tanzania and China be future African ecological transition

By Alessandro Deligios – Art in Tanzania internship

International Relations

In the last year, China has been exploiting its economic power to gain more influence in the geopolitical arena. According with the future model of geo-economic competition, China firstly seems try to become the leader State in Asia, secondly is taking more power in many areas of the word. One of the strategies to extend her influence is the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), with which, through financing projects in different world areas, China can deeply link the economies of various countries to her own and so create a global economic network that has Chinese economic and financial system as a reference – the so-called Beijing consensus.
In particular, China is focusing on East Africa and in this region Tanzania-China relationship is a key for Beijing to get a strategic economic position: in 2013, the Tanzanian ex-President Jakaya Kikwete signed an agreement to allow China to invest in the financing of Bagamoyo port project, around which it should have place a special economic zone, that expected China to have especial condition for example for water and energy provisions and the security that Tanzania wouldn’t have financing another competitor port. But in January 2016, the project was annulled by President John Magufuli because the agreement for him was like selling Tanzania to Chinese investors.

In climate discussion, we know that African countries are the most affected by the problem brought by climate changes, especially by global warming: the continent will probably be exposed to more extended periods of drought and water provision will always be more difficult. We also know that China is one of the countries which release the highest levels of greenhouse gases. Despite the attempts of the Kyoto Protocol, signed in 1997 and started in 2005, and of the Paris Agreement in 2016, emissions have not yet been limited satisfactorily. Developed countries have the responsibility to help the development in ecological transition, and the GEF (Global Environment Facility) is a program managed by the UN and the World Bank that gives financing to developing countries so they can get positive results related to four areas: climate changes, desertification, international water pollution and biodiversity. Good results are got in third and fourth areas, buty not in the first two.

At the start of April 2021, First Minister Geoffrey Mwambe said that Tanzania would be ready for a new agreement about the Bagamoyo port project if the terms were changed. In this, Tanzania-China relations can be central to Africa’s ecological transition. Tanzania could advance conditions for the project according to the UN 2030 Agenda sustainability goals, cooperating with other African countries to do the same with other Chinese investments in Africa when possible. With a high chance, China is interested in extending its economic influence in Africa to get more global diplomatic weight and to be disposed to accept sustainability conditions for its projects. It could be one of the few ways to do that. China – but not only, also other countries that would like to invest in Africa – massively reduce their emissions. This will be more powerful based on how many countries collaborate: it should be a priority because fast-growing economies must develop sustainably. Pressure developed countries, especially China, a significant global player trying to extend its power.

Sources:

• (About climate issue and international relations)
  J. Grieco, G. J. Ikenberry, M. Mastanduno, Introduzione alle relazioni internazionali, UTET, 2017
  
• (About Bagamoyo port project)
  D, Ayemba, Bagamoyo port project timeline and all you need to know, 15 April 2021, on Construction Review Online
  
• P. Mittal, Tanzanian Bagamoyo Port Project Story, 16 September 2020, on Belt and Road News.
  
• A. D’Amaro, Un ponte tra Cina e Africa: il porto di Bagamoyo, Tanzania, 8 September 2020, on Lo Spiegone.