Ever-increasing mutually beneficial military relations between China and Africa contribute to development

The visit of Chen Bingde, Chief of General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to Namibia, Angola and Tanzania earlier this month has yielded positive results. It was the first visit by the PLA's Chief of General Staff to Africa since the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held in Beijing and the first ever to Angola and Namibia, and reflected the increasing military exchanges between China and Africa.

China-Africa military exchanges date back to the early 1960s. Despite being a weak power and facing the arduous task of self-development, China supported African countries' movement for liberation. This laid the foundation of a strong and long-term friendship between China and the African countries. China-Africa military ties have reached a new stage today, with increasing exchanges and more practical and wide-ranging cooperation.

To develop military ties with African countries, China has always prioritized maintaining security in the continent and pushing forward its development process, which are reflected in three ways.

First, China supports African countries' efforts to make their militaries strong enough so each could defend its territory and sovereignty. By training African countries' commanding and technical personnel and providing them with the equipment and materials they desperately need, China is helping them modernize their armed forces and increasing their capability to defend their territories.

Second, China provides African nations with humanitarian assistance and helps them counter non-traditional security threats. The PLA has offered medicines and medical equipment urgently and dispatched medical teams to different parts of Africa. Last year, in a joint medical campaign by Chinese medical teams and their Gabonese counterparts, more than 5,000 people in Gabon received free medical treatment. Plus, Chinese peacekeepers have held training programs to teach African people how best to grow rice, dig wells and build bridges.

Third, the PLA has taken an active part in UN peacekeeping operations and humanitarian aid missions in Africa. China has always attached great importance to its role in UN peacemaking missions in Africa, and has sent nearly 1,000 peacekeepers to Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Western Sahara. In response to the call of the "hybrid" African Union-UN force, China sent a corps of engineers to Darfur, Sudan. These engineers cleared mines in the Darfur region even at the risk of losing their own lives, and won high praise from local residents, the AU and the UN.

But some Western countries and media feel uneasy because of the deepening Sino-African ties and are trying to malign China through allegations. They say "China is a threat", "China is practicing neo-colonialism in Africa" and "China is looting Africa's resources". But such attempts to thwart the exchanges and cooperation between the two sides have failed because reality is otherwise. At best, these allegations are the result of the colonial hangover of the West. The West cannot accept that Africa is no longer its colony and is free to think what's good for it and what's bad.

The hubris and prejudice of some Western countries prevent them from building ties with their African counterparts. Besides, they cannot perceive African nations as their equals. No wonder, a Western reporter once said China has given respect to Africans, something that the West never could. That's why China-Africa ties will continue to deepen.

African countries are no longer colonies. Most of them are building or strengthening relations according to their own needs and will. They have the right to choose their own trade and cooperation partners. They are seeking more development help but in a dignified way - not as weak colonized nations - to fight poverty and build a future according to their requirements.

Contrary to some Western countries' allegations, China's pragmatic cooperation with African countries is a manifestation of its commitment as an emerging power with responsibility. Africa cannot develop or maintain stability without the support of the rest of the world.

China's aid to African nations does not come attached with political or other conditions. China has never imposed its ideology, political system, development model or way of life on other countries. In fact, it treats every country, even those that it helps, as equals. While working jointly with African countries in the field of energy, China has always respected their will, insisted on the principle of mutual benefit and abided by market rules.

It's time Western countries saw Sino-African ties in the proper perspective and helped African countries maintain peace and stability and boosted their economic development - just like China has been doing.

China-Africa military ties have withstood the rapid changes over an eventful five decades. China is the largest developing country and Africa a fast emerging continent. The two sides discover more and more common interests as time passes by. African countries treasure China's development experience. The connection between China and Africa in security will lay a solid foundation for the expansion of pragmatic cooperation in other areas.

China will continue to persist with its mutually beneficial policies vis--vis African nations in order to continue developing military ties with them and help their militaries to promote peaceful regional construction and contribute to the creation of a sound development environment.

The author is a research scholar with the Academy of Military Sciences of the People's Liberation Army.

(China Daily 06/12/2010 page5)