By Alessandro Deligios – Art in Tanzania internship
Over the past year, China has leveraged its economic power to increase its influence in the global 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. However, in January 2016, the project was annulled by President John Magufuli, as he viewed the agreement as akin to selling Tanzania to Chinese investors.
In climate discussions, we know that African countries are the most affected by the problems brought about by climate change, especially global warming. The continent will likely 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 efforts of the Kyoto Protocol, signed in 1997 and implemented in 2005, and the Paris Agreement in 2016, emissions have not yet been satisfactorily limited. 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 obtained in the third and fourth areas, but not in the first two.
At the start of April 2021, First Minister Geoffrey Mwambe stated that Tanzania would be ready to negotiate a new agreement regarding the Bagamoyo port project if the terms were revised. In this regard, Tanzania-China relations can be pivotal to Africa’s ecological transition. Tanzania could advance conditions for the project in line with the UN’s 2030 Agenda sustainability goals, cooperating with other African countries to do the same with other Chinese investments in Africa when possible. With a high likelihood, China is interested in expanding its economic influence in Africa to gain more global diplomatic weight and to be more inclined to accept sustainability conditions for its projects. It could be one of the few ways to do that. China – but not only China, but also other countries that would like to invest in Africa – massively reduce their emissions. This will be more powerful based on the number of countries that collaborate; it should be a priority because fast-growing economies must develop sustainably. Pressure from developed countries, especially China, is significant as global players attempt to expand their influence.
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.
