By Alessandro Deligios – Art in Tanzania internship
China has been utilising its economic power to shape the geopolitical landscape in recent years. According to the future model of geo-economic competition, China initially appears to be striving to become the leading State in Asia. Second, they are taking more power in many areas of the world. One of the strategies to extend their influence is the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI). This strategy focuses on financing projects in different areas of the world. China can deeply link the economies of various countries to its own and is creating a global economic network with the 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, the Tanzania-China relationship is key for Beijing to get a strategic economic position. In 2013, former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete signed an agreement allowing China to invest in financing the Bagamoyo port project, around which it was to establish a special economic zone. China is expected to have special conditions such as water and energy provisions and security, and Tanzania wouldn’t have financing from 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 prolonged periods of drought, and water provision will always be more challenging. Concerning climate change, it is also known that China is one of the major countries that 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 of ecological transitions, and the GEF (Global Environment Facility), a program managed by the UN and the World Bank, give financing to developing countries to help 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 for a new agreement regarding the Bagamoyo port project if the terms were revised. In this context, Tanzania-China relations can play a central role in Africa’s ecological transition. Tanzania could advance conditions for the project in line with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 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 gain more global diplomatic weight and be more inclined to accept sustainability conditions for its projects. It could be one of the few ways for China to do so, but not the only way for other countries that wish to invest in Africa to reduce their emissions significantly. This will be more powerful depending on the number of countries that collaborate. It should be a priority, as fast-growing economies need to develop sustainably and must pressure developed countries, especially China, as significant global players are trying to extend their powers.
Sources:
– (About climate issues 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, https://constructionreviewonline.com/project-timelines/bagamoyo-port-project-timeline-and-all-you-need-to-know/.
P. Mittal, Tanzanian Bagamoyo Port Project Story, 16 September 2020, on Belt and Road News, https://www.beltandroad.news/2020/09/16/tanzanian-bagamoyo-port-project-story/.
A. D’Amaro, Un ponte tra Cina e Africa: il porto di Bagamoyo, Tanzania, 8 September 2020, on Lo Spiegone, https://lospiegone.com/2020/09/08/un-ponte-tra-cina-e-africa-il-porto-di-bagamoyo-tanzania/ .
