Kenya can look to China in the face of punitive sanctions by the West on the ICC suspects

As Kenyans are gearing up to the much anticipated March elections of 2013, there are fears that the Country’s relationship with the International community will not be business as usual if the ICC suspects are elected into office. However, Kenyans can bet on China to continue with its friendly diplomatic relationship with Kenya.

China’s friendship and cooperation with Kenya and other developing countries is based on the principle of mutual respect, equality and non-interference in internal affairs. It respects other countries choices of leaders, social system and development path. In the recent report to the 18^th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, outgoing president Hu Jintao outlined China’s diplomatic priorities in the new era. He emphasized that China will remain a reliable political ally and sincere partner to developing countries. He said China is opposed to any attempts to subvert the legitimate government of any developing country and will not abandon the principle of non-interference in other countries, however, it will share its views and experiences with other developing countries to ensure peace and stability prevails.

Western and developed nations often take advantage of their dominant positions to take offensive positions and interfere with the internal affairs of developing nations. China has strongly spoken against this practice and has consistently come to the defense of developing countries by insisting on legality, justice and consensus among countries across the globe. Its stance in favor of developing countries in not only reflected in what it says but by its actions. It opposes punitive economic sanctions that affect the lives of ordinary citizens. With respect to Zimbabwe; China has used its veto six times to protect the citizens of Zimbabwe from the punitive sanctions imposed by the western countries.  These sanctions do not entirely influence the decisions of the leadership of Zimbabwe but only subject the ordinary citizen to more hardship and suffering. China will always stand by developing countries. “We will decide our position and policy on an issue on its own merits and work to uphold fairness and justice,” Hu Jintao said.

Chinese media has added sparkle to the local media scene

There is a simmering revolution shaking up the media landscape in Kenya. Some sense of renewed strength, vigor and interest in all things Chinese. For Instance, I feel good watching Kenyans interviewing international figures and experts live via satellite all over the world from Nairobi on CCTV Africa live.

All the major Chinese state media with a global audience, namely China Central Television (CCTV), Xinhua News Agency, China Radio International and China Daily, have all established operations in Africa with their headquarters in Nairobi.

This is truly an exciting time, not only for Kenya but Africa in general. Most of the time, China and Africa learnt about each other from a third party, which was normally western media. International opinions were, and still are led by western media. Voices from Africa and other regions have been relatively weak. However, the entrance of Chinese media and the close exchanges and collaboration with African media will balance the situation. China and Africa can now communicate with each other more effectively, build mutual trust and eliminate misunderstanding. This is an effective way to ensure that the friendship and cooperation between China and Africa will bring opportunities to the citizens of both countries to achieve their full potential.

They have managed to portray the true picture of Africa to the Chinese people and the real China to the African people. This year, a crew from CCTV recorded a documentary of the landscape and beautiful scenery of Kenya and its magnificent wildlife. The documentary titled “Glamorous Kenya” was aired every day in China on CCTV documentary channel 9 and the effects were amazing. Chinese people are getting more interested in Kenya and Africa and the number of Chinese tourists to Kenya and Africa is rising sharply.

The Chinese media are also establishing close and constructive collaboration with Africa’s influential broadcasters to increase their capacity and share ideas for better programming and to serve both our interest. KBC channel has collaborated with CCTV to air CCTV’s “Africa live” program for one hour every day. This is just what our local media scene needed to shake up things in the newsrooms.

Chinese economic miracle will continue under the new leadership

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping made his debut as the new leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on  November 15^th, 2012, with a strong mandate to continue the country’s economic miracle and improve the lives of the 1.4 billion Chinese people. Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang are expected to formally take over the presidency and premiership from Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao respectively at the National People’s congress in March 2013. They have promised to deliver the arduous task of leading the Chinese people in building a moderately prosperous society. As it pushes for a more balanced development with the new leaders, China will continue to serve as a global economic powerhouse.

Convened at a time when the world’s economic future is tied to China’s growth, the 18^th CPC National congress gave a report of its work in the last decade and made plans for delivering economic prosperity and equity to all Chinese people. The report gave priority to improving the people’s livelihoods and enabling them to benefit substantially from China’s development. With the bar having been raised, the new leadership will be under pressure to deliver on the daunting task ahead. There are great challenges of inequality, social cohesion and an unpredictable global environment and for the new leadership; these challenges will only grow in complexity as China becomes a middle income country.

The report also set the goal of doubling China’s GDP of 2010 and the per-capita income of urban and rural residents by 2020. This is the first time that the CPC has included per capita income in its 2020 development blueprint of a moderately prosperous society. Previous targets only focused on GDP growth. This is an ambitious goal but considering China’s economic miracle in the last decade, it is possible that the Chinese leadership will deliver. The per-capita disposable income of urban residents in China rose 8.4 percent in 2011 from a year earlier while the per-capita net income of rural residents grew 11.4 percent over the same period.

Despite the global economic slowdown, the CPC has promised to make this goal a reality by 2020. When the goal is realized, the 1.3 billion Chinese people will join the group of fewer than 2 billion people worldwide who currently enjoy the standard of living as envisioned in a moderately prosperous society.

China’s new leaders are devoted to this economic goal and have vowed to build on the achievements of their predecessors to scale the new heights. In a report published by the Paris based Organization for economic cooperation and development, it is expected that China will overtake the United States by 2016 to become the world’s largest economy.  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also predicted that than China’s economy will be bigger than that of the United States in terms of purchasing power parity.

Mindful of the opportunities and the Challenges lying ahead, the new leaders will put the policies agreed upon at the 18^th National Congress into practice. While placing emphasis on economic growth, the CPC will spearhead a Change in China’s development model to ensure that the wealth divide is bridged. As China rebalances its economy, there are global implications. China’s important role in the global economy means that its success is a success for the world and its failure is a failure for the world.

Bargaining In China: A Cultural Perspective

I have heard many Kenyans remark on how the Chinese people are fond of bargaining on almost everything. Such remarks bring a smile to my face as I recall my shopping experiences in the famous shopping spots for tourists and foreigners in the Beijing, China. The Silk Market, Yashow Market and Carrefour come to mind.Bargaining is a cultural norm in China and is acceptable in most Chinese stores, except in large stores, corporate shops and department stores in which the goods have clear fixed prices. Bargaining is the main mechanism that people use to interact in the marketplace and using it in its correct art form will get you so much for a decent price. The saying goes “everything in China is negotiable.” Shopping, buying and selling, they're all games. The seller plays and the buyer plays. The game is amiable and the best player wins.

Just like the Kenyan hawker in the streets of Nairobi and in the markets, the seller starts with a really high price, especially when it comes to foreigners. The fun starts as soon as you say  “No”, “too much” or “Bu Yao”. The Chinese trader will ask what you are willing to pay and as soon as you place your offer, a calculator will appear from nowhere in a matter of seconds and a figure will be punched and thrown on your face. The game has officially begun. Nothing is bought or sold without the ever-present large format calculator and the transaction can continue to be wordless as the calculator is handed back and forth between the seller and the buyer. This is when one’s bargaining skills are put to the real test. You will wish you had taken more trips to “Gikomba” market so as to be able to cope with such moments. It is not easy to escape, especially if you like the product and the best options is to play the game hard and if you’re good at it or “tough” as they say, you will get the product at a good price.

For example, for an item worth 50 RMB, the seller will probably start at 120 RMB. My guess of a fair price would be between 50 and 70 RMB but as a buyer, you are safer proposing as low as 30 or even 20 RMB so that you have more room to maneuver. There's nothing more disappointing in a bargaining game than starting too high. Obviously, the seller will say no and follow with words like “are you crazy” or “are you kidding me” and in no time, the calculator will be on your face with a reduced value. It is very difficult to establish the correct price because everyone sells at different prices and want to maximize on the profits and it all depends with the buyer.

Mission Accomplished!!

There is some form of art in this bargaining. The seller sometimes fidgets and mumbles Chinese words to make you feel like you’re being unfair. However, smiling and insisting on your own price is the way to go. Vendors love to play like you've ruined their day with your hard bargaining. You'll hear everything from "Now my child won't have any dinner," to "You are getting this for less than I paid for it! If you buy from several shops, you will notice that they all say the same things and the same tactics are being used. Most of the traders do not speak English but they have mastered key words and sentences necessary to facilitate the bargaining process. I must say I am proud of my bargaining skills, thanks to stints at Gikomba, Ngara and other hawkers market in Nairobi. I got several compliments from the sellers after negotiating and arriving at a decent price. 

There is always a comic relief in the bargaining process with Chinese traders. The negotiation never gets tense. It is fun and it is a game; the best player wins. They never allow tension to build in the process of negotiating.  They will quickly ask who you’re buying the item for and try paint a picture of how handsome or beautiful the person will look in it in the case of clothing and accessories. Their tone of voice and expressions add more character to what they are saying and give the negotiation its light nature. By the end of the small talk, there’s usually some likeability in the trader and a personal relationship established.

Having made some connections, talked and done business, the bargaining experience in China is a memorable moment, especially for foreigners. Both the buyer and seller leave with a smiling face and the buyer goes home with a cultural experience rarely witnessed anywhere else in the world.

China proves to be a reliable friend and sincere partner of developing countries

In the recent report to the 18^th national congress of the Communist party of China (CPC), outgoing president, Hu Jintao outlined China’s diplomatic priorities in the new era. Apart from cementing bonds with other powers, the report emphasized that China will remain a reliable friend and sincere partner of developing countries. He said China will continue to uphold the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries and support efforts to increase their representation and voice in International affairs. The report highlighted China’s commitment to the improvement the growing solidarity, friendship and cooperation with developing countries on the basis of equality and win-win cooperation.

China, like other developing countries, faces the same challenges of streamlining its economic development pattern, improving people’s livelihood, expanding domestic demands and promoting harmonious coordination of economic and social development. Despite having undergone profound development changes in the last 30 years to become the world’s 2^nd largest economy by nominal GDP, China still remains the largest developing country of the world while Africa is the continent with the greatest number of developing countries. China is committed to working together with developing countries to achieve their common development.

Developing countries have always been China’s important partners in pursuing peaceful development and a major force for a multi-polar world and greater democracy in International relations. Global cooperation is expanding on multiple levels and on all fronts. Developing countries are gaining in overall strength, tipping the balance of international forces in favor of the maintenance of world peace. China has never forgotten that it is developing countries that helped it regain its legitimate seat at the UN in 1971. Ever since, China has remained a reliable political ally to Africa and developing countries at the UN and most importantly, safeguarding their interests at the powerful Security Council.

China has consistently called for larger representation of developing countries within the United Nations Security council, specifically African Nations, in line with the UN reforms. This has been China’s clarion call since it regained its legitimate seat in the United Nations in 1971 with the support and backing of developing countries. China’s views its responsibility as a great power is to promote world peace, development and fairness through the involvement and participation of all stakeholders.

Developed nations often take advantage of their dominant positions to take offensive positions and interfere with the internal affairs of developing nations. China has strongly spoken against this practice and has consistently come to the defense of developing countries by insisting on legality, justice and consensus among countries across the globe. Its stance in favor of developing countries in not only reflected in what it says but by its actions. With respect to Zimbabwe, China has used its veto six times to protect the citizens of Zimbabwe from the punitive sanctions imposed by the western countries.  These sanctions do not entirely influence the decisions of the leadership of Zimbabwe but only subject the ordinary citizen to more hardship and suffering. China will always stand by developing countries. “We will decide our position and policy on an issue on its own merits and work to uphold fairness and justice,” the report said.

Peaceful development has been a buzz word for China’s development in the past decade and the long held Chinese tenets of “an independent foreign policy of peace’ and a “win-win strategy of opening up” will remain guidelines to China’s diplomacy. The report emphasized that China is committed to the peaceful settlement of international disputes and hotspot issues, opposes the wanton use of force or threat to use it, oppose any foreign attempt to subvert the legitimate government of any developing country and will not abandon the principle of non-interference in other countries, however, it will share its views and experiences with other developing countries to ensure peace prevails.

The International status of China and its influence on world affairs has significantly improved. China has used its newfound position to support other developing countries enhance their capacities for self development. It has taken concrete steps to narrow the North-South gap and help other developing countries achieve faster development. China accorded zero tariff treatment to certain products from all the least developed countries having diplomatic relations with it with an intention of increasing their trade revenue and balancing the trade patterns. By the end of 2011, China had completed over 2200 aid projects in recipient developing countries and cancelled debts owed by 50 heavily indebted and least developed countries. It has trained over 60,000 people of various professionals for 173 developing countries to speed up their human resource development.

China and other developing countries still share many common interests. Being developing countries provides China and other developing countries a lot of room and potential for further growth. Chinese leaders have pledged to continue to increase mutually beneficial cooperation with other developing countries and continue to support them in maintaining stability and achieving development.

China seeks to enhance ties with Kenya as the west pulls back

China and Kenya enjoy a long history of profound traditional friendship. Our friendship began over 600 years ago when the famous Chinese navigator Zheng He came to Kenya four times during his seven voyages to the western seas. He visited the Kenyan coast of Malindi and made friends with the local people. Soon after Kenyan got independence, China was also one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Kenya, only two days after Kenya won its Independence. For the last 48 years, this friendship has remained cordial and has now entered a new era.

Traditionally, the United Kingdom, the United States and other European countries were Kenya’s main development partners and source of Investment and aid. However, financial crisis in the west and the re-emergence of China has pushed Kenya’s traditional development partners to the periphery. Under these circumstances, Kenya like many other African countries turned its eye to the east, strategically seeking to enhance ties with emerging China.

In the last decade, China and Kenya friendship and cooperation has grown steadily and attained historic heights. Our mutual social, economic and political trust has been greatly enhanced. We have made great achievements in the fields of economy, trade, investment and many other pragmatic cooperation fields. The complementary nature of our economic ties offers us broad prospects for cooperation. China continues to break new ground and is constantly looking for new areas to boost our cooperation.

The Influence of China in project development, especially in the Infrastructure sector is worth commendation. A lot has changed since China became Kenya’s Number one and de facto development partner particularly in the infrastructure sector. Compared with assistance from western countries, which often came with political strings attached, assistance from China has been received with open arms.

China’s aid and investment has been directed towards ensuring Kenya can pursue development on its own. China has paid more attention to assisting Kenya’s infrastructure and implemented projects that have a direct impact on the livelihoods of the people. In the last decade Chinese companies have been involved in numerous livelihood projects across Kenya. They have built roads, schools, hospitals, airports, dams, bridges and so on. However, in all those projects it is in infrastructure that China has stood head and shoulders above others. In this respect, the 50.4 kilometer-long, eight-lane Thika super-highway is the ultimate emblem of China-Kenyan development partnership.

As Kenya and China embark on a transition to new leadership in both countries, the new Chinese leadership has already expressed its intention to maintain and enhance our relations to achieve further success in our cooperative development. There are many potential areas of substantial cooperation that can be exploited. For Instance, our agricultural cooperation has a lot of potential and a promising future.

We expect that the pace of comprehensive cooperation with China will be strengthened and accelerated as we embark on a new period of cooperative development under a new set of leadership.