 Mandarin lessons in Malawi underline China's Africa ties Lilongwe, Malawi (AFP) Sept 4, 2018 - As African leaders attend this week's summit in Beijing awash with investment pledges, back in Malawi, pupils are stuck into their Mandarin lessons -- a clear sign of China's increasing sway over the continent. "The world now is going in such a way that if you want to travel, (you) should not want to find difficulties talking to people. Language can be a barrier," said Ndaziona Mponde, a Malawian student studying Mandarin in the capital Lilongwe. "I want to learn Chinese because if I get a chance of going to China maybe for business or for school then I wouldn't find too many problems," she told AFP. Malawi and China have had diplomatic relations only since 2008. But more than 1,000 Malawians now attend Chinese classes at 25 learning centres in four cities across Malawi, according to professor Feng Jianguo, director of the Confucius Institute in Lilongwe. "We have a lot of Chinese enterprises offering opportunity of employment," Jianguo said. "If you know how to speak, how to read and write and you learn the Chinese language, it will be much easier for you to find a job." - Education and infrastructure - Last month, the Chinese embassy in Lilongwe announced it would provide 1,000 scholarships to Malawian students ranging from undergraduate to doctoral levels to study in China. The programme is just part of China's massive engagement with Africa in recent decades. The world's second biggest economy has poured billions of dollars of loans and funding support for roads, ports and other major infrastructure projects. From power plants in Botswana to diamond mines in Zimbabwe, railways in Nigeria and hydropower projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa has come to rely on China for investment and jobs. Yvonnie Sundu, an arts reporter on Malawi's Nation newspaper who recently returned from studies in China, said the country's impact on Africa was increasingly evident. "China is continuously offering options that were not previously available," she said. "When you thought of going for further studies, the ideal choice was the UK or USA. But now, China has opened up." Chinese President Xi Jinping told African leaders in Beijing on Monday that the country's investments on the continent have "no political strings attached" as he pledged $60 billion in new development financing. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Rwandan President Paul Kagame were among leaders present at the summit, which ends Tuesday. At the demanding Confucius Institute at the University of Malawi teacher Sung Goujua has some encouraging advice. "If your pursuit is to become a professional translator, maybe it can be quite difficult," he said. "But if you just want to learn basic communication, it is very easy -- maybe two or three months would be enough."
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Chinese and African officials on Tuesday rejected criticism of Beijing's debt-laden overseas development projects as they wrapped up a summit that included a new $60 billion assistance pledge for the continent.
President Xi Jinping hosted leaders from across Africa amid criticism that his country's Belt and Road global trade infrastructure project is worsening debt problems in some countries.
"Everything we do with China is perfectly under control, including on the financial and debt side," said Senegal's President Macky Sall, whose country took over the co-chairmanship of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) for the next three years.
"We shouldn't let our conscience be disturbed by criticism made regarding the nature of our relations with China," Sall said in remarks alongside Xi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to close the triannual FOCAC summit.
For his part, Xi said the summit "opened a new chapter in the history of China-Africa relations".
Ramaphosa, who handed over the co-chairmanship to Sall, said another achievement at the summit was an agreement to "work hard to increase Africa's value-added exports to China".
He had called on Monday for the two sides to work to "balance" trade relations, noting that Africa exports raw materials to China while Chinese factories send finished products back to the continent.
- 'Vanity projects' -
Xi opened the meeting on Monday with an offer of $60 billion in funding for projects over the next three years, saying there were "no political strings attached" but warning against spending on "vanity projects".
Xi also said China would write off the debt of some of the poorest African countries, without specifying which.
The money comes on top of $60 billion offered at the last summit in 2015.
China's special envoy for African affairs, Xu Jinghu, said Beijing would be "very conscientious" in its cooperation with Africa and conduct feasibility studies before choosing projects.
"China has not increased the debt burden of Africa," she told reporters.
"The reasons behind the African debt are quite complex. It has been accumulated for a long time," Xu said, adding that the prices of raw materials exported by Africa have fallen and reduced countries' revenues.
"There are many countries in Africa. Even for the countries that are heavily indebted, China is not the main creditor. So it doesn't make sense and it's groundless to put the blame on China for the African debt," she said.
The new financing includes $15 billion in grants, interest-free loans and concessional loans, $20 billion in credit lines, the creation of a $10 billion fund for development financing and a $5 billion special fund to pay for imports from Africa.
Chinese companies were encouraged to invest at least $10 billion on the continent.
Johan Burger, director of the NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, said Xi's warning against vanity projects showed the "severity" of the issue.
"Should this money be spent on vanity projects, it will lend credence to the charges against China," Burger said.
"China itself does not have an never-ending source of funding, and would not want to see its financing be wasted, with no returns for itself and no real benefit for the countries involved."
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