as this tournaments unfolds over the coming days, it will play a key role, but organize is getting ready to host the middle east. biggest ever sporting event next year. and for the castle national team, it's like it used to playing in front of expectant home crowds. they'll be hoping to convince both the fans and themselves that they really are ready to take on the world. and richardson, al serra cuts off elevate stadium ah, exactly 730 gmc, you're watching al jazeera alive from joe. how your top stories, uganda is deploying forces across the border in democratic republic of congo. was it battles? and on this, it follows air strikes on tuesday, against the allied democratic forces as part of a joint operation with the congress. these army, malcolm web has more from nairobi, military operation began with strikes and authentic fire. as you mentioned, coming from uganda, directed it adf, bases in eastern congo,

then tuesday afternoon. you got it. and so just cross the border on some video and pictures of those you've gotten into entering eastern congo. now this part of east in congo is thick forest. it's, we've been there before is so thick that when you take a step off the roads, you can even be impossible to, to get through this vegetation. and we didn't need for that. the adf has, has its high downtown hidden bases. so this is very difficult terrain to, to hunt down an armed group. the world health organization says blanket travel bands won't prevent the spread of the army crohn, barons. south korea has reported 5200 new cases of corona virus on wednesday, a record high. since the start of the pandemic, scotland and the netherlands have confirmed on the crown was in europe before south africa alerted the world health organization last week. the dutch health authorities say they've detected the new cove 19 variant in 2 samples dating from

november the 19th. the left is liter, jamera, castro, is set to become honduras. his 1st female president ending a 12 year reign by the national party, but counting is still under way. but the ruling party has conceded defeat in the elections. european diplomat submerged iran to show it serious about salvaging the 2015 nuclear deal. on tuesday, representatives from russia, china, germany, france, and the u. k. met iranian officials in vienna. iran want sanctions lifted and returned for limits on its nuclear program. the committee of sudanese doctors is reporting that 98 people were injured during pro democracy protests and the capital on tuesday. thousands came out to reject a deal between the military and the prime minister. you are right up to speed with all the headlining top stories up next. it's inside story. we'll have more news from the news from in 30 minutes. i'll see you. december 4th was c gumby, a vault, and the country's most significant election till day. it's been 5 years since the

former long term leader damage to rearrange was brought on and what political divisions remit can the gambia deliver on its democratic pro vision, special coverage on algebra. 1000000000 cove 19 vaccines and a pledge to continue funding development across africa. the can china avoid criticism over taking advantage of natural resources and saddling, developing nations with unsustainable debt? this is insight story ah times the whole robin. welcome to the program. china's president, teaching ping has promised african nations, 1000000000 corona virus vaccines and as pledge to continue economic investment in the region, she made the comments virtually as part of the annual forum on the china africa

corporation. as the to day summit in senegal comes to a close, china emphasized how crucial a partnership is. china is africa's largest trading partner with nearly $190000000000.00 in trade. so let's take a closer look at china's long term investment plans in africa. chinese foreign direct investment in the continent was almost $3000000000.20, totaling all those $50000000000.00 ever all. almost a 3rd of that investment has gone into the construction infrastructure development areas, and that's help make china africa is biggest trading partner is also given china premier access to much needed raw materials to fuel economy. is the largest importer of copper and cobalt from africa. most of it extracted by chinese finance companies, but this investment has also come with a heavy debt burden. china finance comes with an average full point, 2 percent interest rate far higher than other international options.

the well, it's bringing august. joining me from nairobi as hassan can n g, the director of horn international institute for strategic studies in london, anthony goldman, he's the head of pro media consulting, which advises companies and institutions on business and political risk in africa. and from beijing, china, we have an democracy in the research fellow at the center for china and globalization. a welcome gentleman to all of you, mr. can you just give you the 1st question? i mean to understand china is contact with africa. we have to sort of go back to its origin and 1st contact you might say between the 2 continents did the 500 years ago, back in the 15th century, early trade was that initial contact that they had. it was very important and it still remains important. today, yes, it is indeed true other sir. the interruption between china and the african continent are hundreds of years ago at the time of cause that preceded

colonialism. and this is something that he sorts of been established have based on the evidence of chinese presidents along that in cost are long leased up and actually go back a phone about a 1000 years ago. now, different, different sanctions were significantly modified, of causing the peter following the 2nd world war, in which after the coming to our mer to tune the communist party. so a feature to work with a lot of liberation movements on the continent. and they remain very supportive, especially on the left wing side of african politics or much of the cold war. and they've been, ah, that is paying dividends, especially in the post cold war period in which china has sort of entrenched us lessons farther by establishing a more presidency down. so, robust economic as well as military posture than bringing that to go over there. cuz you've very neatly brought me to that post, 2nd world war period and the cold war. andy, that obviously saw china,

you might say, come in under the radar, dare i say it into, into africa, to deal with those governments or more left leaning, more sympathetic and of course china itself. and i'm quoting here from mount to dawn here, where he also described himself in china was being part of the 3rd world. they, they recognized and had an affiliation with parts of africa that was very important and building up my relationship. yes, i think that as part of that, i think that there were projects that are in china began to engage with following on from that support for countries in southern africa. so for example, building infrastructure we're way between tanzania and san via that was seen as a kind of a landmark thing of, in, in the 970 the landmark achievement in terms of infrastructure. mostly, i think,

in that period of the cold, well, the most visible presence was actually the tension between china and taiwan. and you could give to african capitals and see the competition if you like, between taiwanese built a palace or a chinese built national stadium. and in the center, this is an echo some of that competition, even today with china is still anxious that countries in africa didn't look too far to, to tie one for support. but on the whole, i think the tilt, since the end of the cold war has been much more in favor of china bill, your actual economic ties based solely around strategy and diplomacy is support for the ever increasing ever demand chinese industry. let me bring it on the mark that you want to come in, having our 2 previous speakers there and a and without giving of you as a full history lesson, which this program is not. certainly, chinese influence in the region and on the continent has been long standing and

continues to be certainly after this conversational virtual conversation they've had this year. no indeed. so he'll, so i would just very briefly start with $949.00 with the founding of the people's republic of china. and you quoted dr. jones, i think from j, one of the establishment of new china. the philosophy has been to treat africa with a spirit of sincerity, genuine cooperation and mutual respect. and i think that is a common thread decades since 1949 to today in terms of understanding of the relationship between china and content. would you say, though, that you say that they want to try and treat all of those countries with equal respect? but there was also this cold war between russia and the united states of russia and the west. and they wanted to gain influence in africa as well. do you think that

china itself at that time was also very mindful of what its position could be or should be in the future if and when the cold war ended? you know, certainly, and the world has changed tremendously since the early fifties. so geopolitically, of course, we've seen the cold war between the soviet union, right, states and trying to played an important part of that g o. strategically. and from that perspective, i think certainly africa has been seen as a battleground, maybe even a playground for, of course, colonial powers. and i think today as well, we've seen in the news, i'm sure on this top of the united states wanting to contest change in for africa. but i think one of the things to point out to you touched on here is that china is always seen itself as part of the developing world. and i think

rightly so, today we're trying to will never forget it is a number of the group of developing nations. and if we go back to it, don't cross the river by dealing with sellers. i think what china has very clearly a month seated in the last few years, is that it has found the way across the river and now is willing to show on the path. but without imposing any type of ideology or any kind of political or economic mechanisms along with that and letting africa other parts of the world develop on their own terms. again, and he couldn't bring you in because of the china may see itself in whatever terms it wants to, but china is viewed by some i. e, the us in turns its influence across africa is bit of a bogeyman. i mean, they need a new enemy. you might say sometimes just how many can make enemy, and that is china. yes, i think there's something in that. i mean, i think,

i think it's at the beginning of china's new economic engagement with africa maybe 20 or 30 years ago. some of that rhetoric about, you know, china being a fair apartment, not having a kind of an agenda, the china had its own experience, a rapid growth and taking people out poverty industrialization. that might have had some kind of the, i don't think it really does any more to think anybody in africa are really things that china is just another potential source of financing and other potential and competitive projects. and i think i was speaking early this week with the vision in african countries, and that back to my be better for people who are less about what china thought of africa and more african needed from its partners. and i think this, the competition, if you like, between rival power doesn't do

a great deal for the people who ultimately mean to benefit in terms of actually providing project on their merits. projects that commercially viable and have less kind of of this rhetorical baggage that makes more sense perhaps in washington or even beijing, perhaps in burkina faso or was ambia. we'll talk about the specific economy economic in a moment, but has and can, and, you know, just come back to, you know, africa itself and in subsequent nations within the continent of how to deal with military crews, cross border confrontation, climate change in family and ethnic rivalries. each country has its own beset problems. how has china, in your opinion, been able to maintain a good relationship with all of those different sorts of regimes and governments when they've had this whole range of problems across the continent? i think china has learned from some of the mistakes that were done by previous powers, especially europe and under the 90 days in part because he does not choose government

for africans. and that is that attractive. and leadership which me often sometimes is not accountable. and sometimes there are terry. secondly, african countries up on the top of j even growth, legible, in part because the country that has previously been class by that the thought was been though that's the political. but increasingly, of course, it's moving into the higher stages of being and above the economy. but sadly, i think because china looks at africa the partner and does not speak to involving the colonel affairs living in countries. it has the low but friends and enemies within the continent to be able to work with china irrespective. but we government of the days in po. and i think because of the kind of relation that to build a why and he was letting the poor today, the perception of the partnership that he's taking to build even at the cost of

increase, that most countries and as in china has been able to be successful in areas where, for instance, the west, high speed can park also because he does not have their own baggage and it's not viewed as negatively some of the width and metropolis you've been though as i did mention, they've been increasing a things that a number of countries that thinking by they indicate the state that it's going to prevent sustain the point, the near future. there is this anthony goal there is a real debate going on. isn't that at the moment about africa's results says what china wants and what it needs for in terms of manufacturing and product base. i mean, when we look at some of the statistics, 6 countries make up 68 percent of total exports. a goal counting for 3rd, gohler libya, import oh, all from ga ball, gabon also impulse oil and manganese republic of congo. a series of reports. he had an alger. there. a news on the democratic republic of congo extracts cobalt and

copper. i mean, there's a lot of natural resources that china requires a new and, and the balance of payments is lopsided as well. you know, what africa is able to buy of china is, is far less than what china you might say takes from africa. you make a very good point. i mean after is not the country, obviously there's a huge distinction between the, my favorite trading partners and some of those countries where maybe china has much less of a relationship and, and go to south africa, particularly important. i think we've seen some growth in, in, in west africa in reason is china's try to track nigeria with different degrees of success. but i think that on top of the products that the role interiors typically that china seeks to secure from africa, the energy security, minerals, security, it needs for growth in that sense, it is fairly familiar to the kind of patterns of economic engagement than other

industrialized countries sequence africa, one of the differences backs is china as a major, manufacture o g and cheaper products is that actually there's quite a lot in paul trade is perhaps not always catch it in the official data between china, africa, quite a lot of that skipped, obviously because of the pandemic and the lack of travel over the last 18 months or so. but until then they were regular flights from direct and china parts of africa where some traders even were going picking up pretty good. see and a seller market. so i think that the picture isn't always captured by the big data if you like. and i think that has been quite a deep relationship from the top, as well as the bottom with africa even where trying to strategic interest to focus more on a particular and small set countries. and the more teaching paying it out, the fact that they would be less money being invested in africa as

a continent that can be interpreted in many ways. one of the ways that it has been interpreted is that china is listening to what african needs and adapting its finances accordingly. others are suggesting that china is walking away from africa . what's your interpretation of it? why i think the reality is much more complex and nuanced portrayed in such black and white binary terms. and i want to back up a little bit with the earlier speaker said about trainer learning some lessons from the european and perhaps the americans in dealing with africa. i would say it's much more profound than that. and the china brings. ready a true sense of empathy in working with the continent because china has not that long ago struggled with exactly the same issues, high mortality rates, malnutrition, etc,

etc. so i think that it's coming from a very, very different place and the philosophy, the governor principles are non interference and respect for each country and system choices. so i think that allows it to deal much more effectively with the country of africa. now that leads us to the current question, what you just asked, what is trying to do now or going forward? i think it's important to recognize that china does not look at africa as a patron client relationship. but again, if we think about it as mutual respect, when, when there will always be adjustments, we look at trade with africa. it's been about $200000000.00 a year over the last 5 years or so. but it goes up and down based on exactly those factors as well as domestic market considerations. so i think that the longer term direction is much,

much greater interaction and integration with africa. but we have to see how that unfolds in terms of investments, trade details, all kinds of other things, technical assistance i've been trying to provide it out for 5 percent of its for aid to africa. and you let me just bring in mr. kennedy, you would not in your head to in, i think in agreement with some of the points are being made. but can i also add to what you might want to say now in a shooting ping has said that he wants to open green lanes for african agricultural exports. he wants to speak of inspection and quarantine procedures to increase a scope of products with 0 type of treatment to help achieve a goal. one of seems of equality of trade equality is that how you see it? that is in heart, a response tour increasing sentiment of the continent that the balance of payment, the handling a well china. and therefore china is trying to look ways and we take an easy

applicant, cuts. it is important know that they still increased appeal of china while economically is seeking sometimes a opt into a maximum of their and economies. it's on image or by following it on us. it does not seek to remain africa nissan in terms of violence. and i think those 2 things are the ones are on it, it is the continent. however, ouse look at the recent statements or by the leader of china as more public diplomacy that had maint. luckily a piece of the continent. and generally, the local population that has been complaining about our increased chinese influence in ways that sometimes does advantages, especially antony galvan. i'll be coming back to for this question. both you and to andy, more frantic. i was bringing earlier in the week we showed on al jazeera a report where chinese mine officials had sanctioned the beating of

a local man in the democratic republic of congo for stealing cobalt rock. this was videoed, as we showed widely, we reported on it when anti mocked, says that, you know, china's initial force always by empathy with africa being equal with africa, understanding the needs of africa. when you see video like this, it undermines that argument, doesn't it about what china really wants? and this is the, you might say the tag, the western media, western governments grab hold off and say, you see, this is what china is really about. well, it does, and i think that there may be a difference between policy from headquarters and what actually happens on the ground. and certainly, i think that's not the only instance. everybody has a camera down there been a couple of instances from, you know, from west africa as well as similar things where relations at the co pays was literally due to theory quite sharply. i mean, i think that that's probably true with lots of foreign companies, but the idea that china is somehow very distinct and much better in that regard is

belie reality or events. a lot of place on the ground is where it's been captured in the way that you describe. and it's also true that in certain, in some of those countries where china has had it's most active engagement, it's also become a domestic political issue in zambia, certain populous mileage. the political parties make in making an issue out of chinese investments and other elements of chinese policy because although china was never claimed power to see in africa has been quite a lot of immigration from china as part of it. griffith of economic ties with africa, and i think, you know, with a 1000000 people who move to africa over the last 20 years, from china that's concentrated in a few places and sometimes not always with the positive result. these are difficult changes to make the changes that happen easier overnight. i think like coming for

a brief comment for you on that as well. no, i would absolutely agree. i think it's intellectually just honest to attribute the actions for the misdeeds of an individual to a government policy. i mean, we all know that those of us that i'm sure every, all of us have interacted with large organizations, whether governmental or for profit and one of the big challenges and especially for chinese enterprises, working in a place far from harm with a different language, different culture different customs that these are very, very difficult circumstances. i think it would be surprised. some sort of mistakes for uses did not happen. we also need to recognize mining is a difficult business as rotten so these are unfortunate and i think that they should happen in an ideal world. but certainly as far as i know, there is no policy on the chinese side to control these types of actions. how

sudden can, can n g. i just come back to you now call. shooting ping has promised a 1000000000 doses of the coven 19 chinese made vaccine to the continent. obviously a welcome donation. but it comes in the context of the world health organization who promised them to kovacs the africa would be looked after western countries did nothing did very little. we've been reporting for 18 months. they've done something but not enough, not enough mutations to appear. china, we're again helping out as much as it possibly can. where do you stand on this? do you see this is some sort of medical, bribery in any shape awful. no, i'll say the extension of geo politics is going on, especially between the rousseau scene, our russian alliance and the trans atlantic alliance. and i think while it was a little way, but especially from the administration in the united states, to paint pain a lot more negative years a bit 19. it has worked its way into lots of hats and minds of people in the

developing world. and so what this donation means is the problem to pay attention to those of our aspects of china. we, kate, has been doing more excellently. is i some of the propaganda? there's been shared, of course, with regard to some of the human rights violations. isolated incidents and is going to, i think we're very long wait because the west has largely not been us present. and especially europe, united states has been trying to back cause i think it's government does on issues and the out of these a lot of, but seen at nationalism that has limited the ability of the west to actually get africa in a way that is going to be appreciated in them. coming very close to the end of the program and what kinds of come back to soft power. how important is that in terms of chinese policy? is it a word that to use? is it a phrase that use, or do you see that vaccine donation in that same sort of area? absolutely. so i think soft power is sometimes referred to in the chinese context,

this discourse power. and in a world where we face global challenges and global responses are required, the ability to be heard taken seriously have one's views and opinions seen as legitimate is vital. and i think one of the big issues we're seeing here is of places with market driven economies like the us, they are not able to overcome structural limitations and we're profit companies wanting to protect their bottom line. whereas china, us is able to act in the interest of this country in the world. and i think this is an important factor in its increasing discourse power. well, i'm sure we'll be coming back to the subject, not too distant future. suddenly the gentleman we have to leave at hudson can n g, anthony goldman and andy mark and i, roby london and basing gentlemen, thank you for joining me here. and thank you for watching as well. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website out there at dot com for further discussion. go to our facebook page, that's facebook dot com,

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