I head home today, after a productive trip. I spent the
past couple of days at a conference on China's relationship with Africa. Some
interesting related papers can be found at the web site of the Center for
Chinese Studies of Stellenbosch University, South Africa. There was a
fascinating lineup of participants: current and former ambassadors from China
to African countries and vice versa, social scientists, businesspeople, China
Exim bank officials, Foreign Ministry types and reps from African (but not
Chinese for some reason) NGOs. The guiding assumption of the conference seemed
to be that increasing Chinese trade and investment in Africa would be a good
thing, and I took pains to remind participants that this is not at all a given.
Most of the attention and concern about China in Africa has focused on minerals
(including petroleum) and big dams, and though this meeting was much richer and more
nuanced (with a lot of interesting discussion of the role of very small Chinese
entrepreneurs and firms acting completely under the radar of official Chinese
presence), I was still surprised at the lack of attention to agriculture.
Clearly there's work to be done on this issue, especially as the "biofuels
boom" hits Africa, and the threat of agricultural land (and precious water
resources) being swallowed up by fuel crops for export. China has wisely
restricted use of food-producing land for biofuels production. I wonder if they
might consider applying this same wise policy in Africa?
Sam Fromartz wrote and asked what I have been eating, so
let me end this China Trip blog with a few food pictures!
These are from a
bustling Shanxi restaurant, representing one of the regional cuisines that you
don't see much abroad. People in Shanxi love dark, thick vinegar, mutton, and
noodles in all shapes and sizes. The tube-shaped noodles the woman is making
will be steamed, then diners dip them into a vinegary sauce before eating. The
big pancakes are eaten plan as the bread course at the end of the meal.
