Chinatown, Africa

There was no mention in this otherwise instructive episode about the quality of the Chinese workmanship. Having lived in Africa for years, I still have friends there who've reported that, for example, at least 2 of the hospitals the Chinese built have had to close after 3 months because of things like collapsing walls, and several roads have simply disintegrated.

What happened to this video? I watched it once and enjoyed how two countries and peoples so different from each other interact. It made me laugh. It fulfills so many stereotypes, and reminds me that as much as we disapprove of stereotyping, people can’t seem to help it and it's their first, helpless grasp at understanding somebody of a different race or culture. Please put it back on, if possible. Would like to share it around. Thanks!

The Europeans have had 500 years of making it good in Africa & failed miserably. The Chinese have only had 10 years & have contributed more to the infrastructure in Africa than all the European powers put together! The Chinese are no saints & don't pretend to be, like the Europeans. Their honesty is their strength!

why some see this as a problem, the solid truth is that Chinese company did contribute this nation, and will keep doing so. To Africa that's what it matters. people there should use this new development to change the condition there and make new law and give it a change through politic. why blam Chinese? Even Chinese worker were brought along, there must be something else they can do instead do nothing than complain.

I think Marian your documentary is a tad bit biased and done with an intent to show both the Africans and Chinese in very bad light.

We as Africans and I assume the Angolans fit into this category are tired of the endless manipulations of the west which for many years have led to the beefing up of African dictators and despots mainly through AID and subsequent derivatives of AID such as Civil conflict, corruption and ethnic power plays.

Consequently a distablized Africa has allowed the west to take its minerals and exploit is people.

All the above was carefully removed from the historical context of your documentary(because you are talking of Chinese Takeover).

Now you show Chinese Investments(which is NOT Aid) in bad light by alluding to the the invasion of Chinese workers.

Obviously to build those roads and buildings you don't expect the untrained Angolans who have never seen such structures to all of a sudden know how to build sky scrapers.

Incidentally aren't there millions of Chinese all over Europe doing the exact same thing.

However the Angolan government as well as other African governments should ensure that there is a transfer of technology and that much I give you.

Otherwise thank you for taking your time to visit Africa at the very least you have exposed your hypocrisy for all and sundry to see.

If I were you I would be very ashamed to go on public record with such a piece especially considering you are such a young person expected to guide the rest of us in the future in this Journalistic field.

All the Best...

Hey dear friend, it is easy for some of you to judge what Chine has being doing, i am pro Democracy, i do not tolere communism at all, but the problem is we have being dealing with Democratic Countries for a long time i mean very long time, and the end result was years you Civil war, massacres, death, so if you know what is like living in a place like that then you should keep you views for yourself, we are aware that nothing comes from nothing, China is not help per say Angola it's a business plan that both Country are incorporating into. Democracy will come within time, the transation need to be slow so that people can adjust themself to the new political view.. otherwise the Country will fall again at war like in Iraq, Afganastan, Pakistan, just to mention some... there is a big diversity in culture in many African country, and we need to live with whatever idiology is great to acommodate such differences, Democracy is not all good, however i still live very much by its idiology... if you are well informed about Private investiment in Angola you should have known that it's not true that China has 80 percent of its labour force, they might have the greatest present regarding companies, which is perfectly accepted, as we didnt have many,not there is lots of differentes companies operating in the reconstruction of Angola, for more infomation go to www.anip.ao
I am aknowdge the power that China has and its letting many people unconfortable, but, it is time for China to emergy, i have seen you guys here, i there is not a single good memories, let just leave the way it is right now and judge in ten years time... by the way i haven't heard a gun shoot for a while..

Let me try to understand what the problem is!

Africa has immense and plenty of raw recources, right? YES

--> Africa is already and has been for the past decades selling those raw recources to Europe, America, Canada, India, and many other western nations all at an agreed upon price by African officials and Foreign investors, right?? YES

So NOW China wants to buy double the raw recources that America use's from Africa, and at the same time is also contributing it's knowledge and skills in the infrastrure and development of African cities, i.e. building bridges, hospitals, roads, etc etc.
---> So Chinese companies operating in Africa are using 80% chinese labour imported from China! So what! They are not working for free, they are being paid to build those bridges, roads, etc, etc...and how they choose to build them is really upto the contracts signed between the hosting country and china.

So what is the REAL PROBLEM?? I think western nations are really greedy, and in an evil way. They want to have their pie and eat it too! They want to also buy those raw recources from Africa, and not contribute to it's infrustructure or it's people. They want to manipulte other nations politics, and put in power corrupt locals who are the scum of the earth, and would gladly sell his entire country for a bottle of liquor. That's what the west wants to see, that's how they have been doing business for the past 200 years or so.

The western nations also fear about China's growing power, and ofcourse the only way they can cripple china is to cut china off from the rest of the world, namely AFRICA. The West is crying wolf with alligator tears, but they don't understand that this is 2010, and everyone see's through their evil designs.
Africa is Blessed and sometimes cursed with immense recources, and those recources are what china needs plenty of inorder to grow economically and militarily.

And China is getting those recources the same way India, America, Canada and Europe are getting from Africa, but with an added bonus, i..e. China is saying 'sure, i need to buy your raw materials, but i'm not like America, i'm not here to judge your way of living, your politics and your form of democrazy, infact i'm here to help develop your nation, and work together as equal partners!

"IF" the African Ministers or Officials in Power want to put a condition on the chinese development contractors, i..e. like having 50% local labourers, or staff, then they should make that part of the contract, i'm 100% SURE if any "Responsible" African official were to say to the Chinese Companies that the only way you can do business with us, is if you also employ the locals i.e. 50% of the staff - NO BODY wheather china, america, or india would have a problem with that. Its just not part of the contracts, either the African Officials are downplaying the importance of creating employment for their citizens, or they are waiting for the right moment, i.e. The Somali African saying, "the crocodile lets it's prey take a few sips of water from the lake, until it charges at it unaware afterwards". So the way i see it, the chinese companies are getting a sweet deal importing their own citizens to do the work for them in Africa, but for how long is the real question! Africa is saying "WE got the oil, minerals, diamonds, gold, plenty of agricultural lands, etc, etc...and you can come and taste it, savour it, swim in it, be blinded by it. So now the African countries have an upper hand, since china is already in the water, they must now swim according to the African waves. That's where it's headed in due time. In the next 3-5 years, chinese companies will be instructed to employ at least 50% locals, or go else where!

How is that a bad thing??

Western Countries need to stop crying crocodile tears, and stop interferring with African Politics. We Africans will continue to do Business with China, and whoever else wants our recources without getting into our politics; even if they are from the Moon!

I must be missing something here, how is "importing" labor supposed to help the African unemployment? The only thing there doing is recycling the money back into their own hands.

Great job on the video report as usual.
What terrifies me about this partnership is the possibility that Africans will be kept in the dark while major profits and jobs go to the Chinese. Are Angolans or citizens of the other African nations in partnership with China getting jobs out of this partnership? Or is this just another case of government selling African resources and land to the highest bidder?

Thanks Mariana,

This is the first time I see your work but really like it.

And I appreciate what you did in Angola: everyone in Portugal talks about this new Chinese reality there but NOBODY really makes a journalistic piece about it because Angola has so many economic interests here.
Your documentary should be shown here.
I'll share it for shure.
Thanks again

Responding to the previous post by John O'Neill:
If you're interested in knowing who supplied weapons to Angola you should try to complement your knowledge watching the superb 2-part documentary "CUBA: AN AFRICAN ODYSSEY", directed by Jihan El-Tahri (2007)

P.S. - I guess the doc's title gives the answer :)

Once again congrats Mariana on your excellent work!

More ?'s
1. Who supplied the weapons during the 30 Year struggle? Hmmm
2. Where and who is the end-user of Chinese products?
3. Is it possible, China is re-inventing history as the table turns?
4. Is China on the rise or at the beginning of a [modern] restoration?
5. The future impact/contributions from China in other places may lead the world in luxury and the art of life(Durant 1935, Our Oriental Hertage). Paper, gunpowder, silk and the compass in comparision will be like (Chinese made) toys with a Happy Meal.
Enjoy the french fries while they are hot!

I loved the video, she is really good. I would like to remember that the contracts with China bring to major problems to the african states:
1. China gives them deals on guns made in China so many more firearms are imported in China.
2. China limits the commercial freedom cutting off all it's competitors and enemies like Taiwan

I enjoyed this video, I think it did a great job of highlighting the paradox in which Africans find themselves in with Eastern investments. Yet they find themselves in no better situation with Western influence, yet neither party wants to allow Africans to help Africans.

Just found this very interesting. BUT I cannot stop thinking about the environmental impact all of this new construction will have on Africa. The Chinese are NOT known for using sustainable resources and yes they are doing good for Angola's infrastructure but they are also taking advantage of their poverty. Yes they have a lot of resources, BUT the Chinese are after some of the worst things for our environment....OIL to name one. Diamonds don't have a good reputation with human rights either....so really this brings up so many issues....

Simply writing. Yes, China needs African resources. Africa needs an infrastructure to further develop......
China should be commended not condemned for a willingness to successfully complete such a project. Check out the book 'Nothing Like it in the World' by Stephen Ambrose about transcontinental railroad UP/CP in 19th c. USA. Chinese people have continually demonstrated their abilities and acumen throughout history. What is the problem?? We all need each other and to understand better how World Peace and Humanity is the future Promontory point. Many thanks to Vanguard and thoughts to your journalists detained in PRK.

great insight on africa and china's relationship with that part of the region. nothing like seeing what's really out there

parabéns.

Check out Angola in London!!

http://current.com/items/89925511_bump-and-grind.htm

It is racist to allow Australian selling minerals and land to Chinese company, while discouraging african doing the same. Is it because in the former, the proceed was not in native's hand?

I took a short time and read almost everyone comments, difference views some more encourage than the others, i would like to give you all some insight of what Angola really is, Angolan people never really experience a time of peace, right after the Indepency the war started in 1975, and for all this time Angola strogle in the eyes of many self proclaimed powerful nation, many of them helping to detiorate Angolan people relation, thus they would profit selling the Arsenal... Angola has the highest mine insure in the world and there is not mine factory in Angola, there no arsenal factory but more the 5million of people were killed with guns.. for the past 30 year Angola has been heavilly explored, and the country still one of the poorest in the world, I am well aware of climate change, and i do not believe we should let our greedy life distroy the world,however its time for the other to enjoy a bit of what mother Nature gave them.. EU and US should have known that one day those poor nation with lots of minaral would have wanted to developed themselves too.Its time to Africa to prosper, it has been a long call for, please do not criticise just for the sake of criticism, or freedom of speech, because if so, there should not been wars anywhere in first place.. i have seen many human rights being violeted in Angola and China nonetheless nothing compare deaths of million.its a bit cynical, everyone know the importance of EU and US in the world..

So, the global machine have now moved to China, and China has become the vehicle for Global Domination and exploitation in the 21st Century. Same global elite behind the scenes, just a new nation-state acting as the machine's face.

This used to be the role of the USA, but given the economic and asset flight, this role has now been passed to China, for they don't care about human rights, transparency, or corruption. For China, it's no questions-asked policy.

New boss, worse than the old boss.... that must be what the poor people of the African Continent are saying to themselves now.

By the way, great reporting as usual Mariana. I understand that one can only go so far with their journalism. You did a nice job working within authorized frames.

At least chinese are not bringing guns and war with them like the West. 27 years you turned it into a welfare place.

Well informed and balanced. Congratulations!

There needs to be a damn cohesive structure of accountability and transparency in Africa, China is strategically and cunningly exploiting Africa, just like the rest of the world has. Africa is full of foolish leaders that have little or no concern for its citizens... These developments will lead to nothing more than an industrial brothel, with an ever increasing gap between the Rich and the indigent!!!!!

Great piece of journalism Mariana. I think this shows hope that Africa's resources could offer them a way out of poverty as long as corruption and exploitation don't prevent them making the best use of them. Whether China's presence there is seen as exploitation or not, I guess depends on who you speak to.

great as always Mariana

Yes, i think this is a very interesting piece of journalism from a portuguese woman who somehow forgot to refer to the fact that the portuguese raped and pillaged the country for 500 years. Not only that she also forgot to mention the HUGE amounts of portuguese flooding the country again and making exactly the same contracts that the chinese are making.

Why is it that it's okay for the europeans to control african development and yet the chinese are somehow evil?

Angola and other african countries are not corrupt because of the chinese, but because of African leaders, beliefs and decisions.

I view the criticism of china's involvement in Africa as europe and north america trying to halt the developemnt of other countries in favour of their own. how is that for corruption? If the chinese werent providing us with this who would? The eropeans, most likely the portuguese. Especially in tough economica times, i guess europe would like these contracts.

AS AN ANGOLAN BORN AND AS A PORTUGUESE OF NACIONALITY I WANT TO CONGRATULATE MARIANA FOR THE EXCELLENT REPORT SHE MADE IN ANGOLA SHOWING HOW THE ANGOLAN GOVERNMENT IS SELLING THE COUNTRY TO A COUNTRY THAT DOESN'T GIVE A THEM TO HUMAN RIGHTS,CORRUPTION PARTICULARY IN RESPECT TO ANGOLA GOVERNMENT.MR JOSE EDUARDO DOS SANTOS(ANGOLA PRESIDENT FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS)IS ERODING THE COUNTRY AND THE PEOPLE OF ANGOLA.BUT IS FORTUNE CONTINUES TO GROW.

I reacted in a way I didn't think I would have a the beginning of the video.

Yet another brilliant pod from Mariana van Zeller! Not much, unfortunately, is mentioned in the west about Angola. China is taking advantage of the willingness of the local leaders to develop their country. With issues such as with Darfur, where its 'just business', I am afraid that could lead to harsh backlash sometime down the line. Especially if certain social projects fall short, such as building schools and improving the quality of the ordinary Angolan's life. I hope and pray the Angolan leadership can also take advantage of this partnership and to not only bring prosperity to a chosen few.

Very good video, Mariana van Zeller. It shows a new development in Angola that has not been covered very much before. It will be interesting to see what the long term effect of this new Chinese-Angolan business relationship will be.

In the past, the communist MPLA ruling party of Angola has stolen all the oil money and left the country in poverty. Will that continue to be the pattern with new projects being built by the Chinese? Will only the ruling party benefit? Or will some of this wealth and development be spread among the population? The rebuilding of roads and railways definitely seems to be a good thing. In addition, the hospital shown was obviously needed.

Another question is what role will the developing democracy in Angola play? Elected officials might--and they might not--start paying a little more attention to the needs of the populace.

One last point is that whilst leftists in the West and the members of the ruling party might love the fact, as the woman in the video says, that China does not care about human rights and corruption, that same view may not be shared at all by the citizens of Angola.

One only needs to look at all the destabilaziation occurring in the 'resource rich' regions of Africa. Nowadays China plays both sides of a conflict in the tride and true tradition put forth by the United States and once the indigenous people flee these regions due to the violence and unrest "coincidentally" Chinese geologists pop out of nowhere... Interesting

Before watching this, I knew that China's involvement would result in very little improvement in Angola's staggering unemployment. By China, for China.
Back home, the average Chinese construction worker has no guarantee that work will be available from project to project. I see the same problem occurring in Africa. They will have their three year contract. Then what?
The vast amounts of money China invests goes to corrupt Angolan officials, which means that there is no, so called, "trickle down" to combat poverty.
For all the talk of a united Communist China, it has been effectively overtaken by capitalistic ideologies and policies which, as I type, are spreading like viruses throughout the Eastern world.
Excellent work, Mariana and Vanguard Company.

Parabéns pelo excelente trabalho, uma amiga (Yardena) enviou-me o link e fiquei teu fã (e da Vanguard)...
Nunca pares :)

so good

We are not only building roads and hospitals in Arifca, but also giving our black brothers our precious experience on how to become rich. 30 years ago, many places in China are just like the poor miserable areas in Africa. History tells us building infrastructure in a reasonable speed is THE FIRST thing needed to be don so domestic and international trades etc can come after. On the way to become rich, it's simply not possible to have zero tolerance on corruption/environment damage/resource exploitation. To solve these problems(corruption etc), one must rely on educated African people themselves and any external forces are doomed to fail. Too earlier political reform in African countries before dramatic shift in people's living standard will only result to turmoil and economic retrogression.

African countries have their special conditions to follow and the no-string policy is the best for both China and Africa's interests.

There is always something behind Big Politics...It wasn't to much in that piece on helping the common man build there lives...and as usual an outsider country is Raping Africa For its Resources in a different scheme..

Real soon Chinawill have a the Power over all of Africa Resorces and the West will have to pay them for it...

WOW...

So now China is taking a part in Angola perpetuating climate change. All China wants is the resources. This is imperialism without the bombs, but imperialism just the same. Good pod, but don't like China's presence in Africa. Darfur is a good example of why, and oil is part of the genocide there as well.

Hopefully the majority of this revenue produced by these projects will go to education. Notice how the agreement between the governments allowed the chinese to get 70 % of the contracts financed by chinese money? I guess the rape continues. On another hand, why hasn't the USA done anything of this sort? This seems more beneficial than bombing people like we have been for half a century.

http://current.com/items/89579681/will_money_solve_africa_s_development_problems...

fantastic. mariana you're incredible.

This is not going to be an easy judgement call on whether China is great or not so great, or even on their suspected underlying motives. Of course China wants/needs resources, and Africa, and Angola in particular, has a long and tortured history of being taken advantage of. I just don't think the colonizers of a bygone era have much right to promulgate suspicions that China may be following in their own historical footsteps. It remains to be seen.

The point is, Africans have got to decide what they want and how they are going to use the payment their leaders have negotiated with China for those resources. This is an opportunity for both sides to get what they need, but if China is better, in the long run, at getting what China needs, then the African people must take their leaders to task for that failure. It remains to be seen.

This does not sound good to me. I suspect China wants to take over Africa's resources.

China, remember?

Love your Vanguards.. this was pretty great.. Its really a matter of.. If's and But's... at this point. You can't argue with the sheer infrastructure being created which would have never gotten off the ground if it weren't for the Chinese. On the other hand you question if the motives of China at all include Africa as anything more than a bountiful wasteland to which it can freely take and then not reciprocate.

Sure China is so great. Just look at all the progressive things they are doing in Sudan. Barf!

This piece makes me ask two questions...

1. Are the Chinese doing any better/worse than the Europeans or Americans have done under the guise of development?

2. Who/what was behind 30 years of war in Angola? Was it yet another typical CIA inspired tactic to destabilize a country so that a larger and more powerful country can then come in and offer help in the name of development?

This is a familiar pattern around the world... racial/tribal divisions are created to promote unrest and upheaval in the nation, and then the covert perpetrators ride in on their white horse and carry off the nation's resources in the name of development and salvation...kind of has a Trojan horse ring to it. In the case of Angola, there is a long and bitter history of both enslavement and colonialism. Neither of these oppressive systems have ever produced stable political systems without great effort on the part of the victims.

There is no doubt, however, that the Chinese will indeed build the infrastructure they have promised. Their work ethic is such that what they set out to do, they accomplish. It was Chinese labor that built the transcontinental railroad in the US as well, and that venture was not without its own attendant corruption.

The question of political corruption in Angola is one that the nation's inhabitants will eventually have to settle for themselves. Perhaps prosperity and security will provide the added incentive that makes the inhabitants of this land finally rise up to say enough is enough, and determine for themselves what kind of government they are going to have. We can only hope so.

Good piece Mariana...many thanks

an interesting, eye-opening and somehwat surreal insight....I thought it was really well presented and narrated too.

Wonderful piece of journalism. The Chinese build so quickly---my concern is that these structures are being built poorly and might crumble in a few years' time. The Chinese cut corners on so much, even in their own country, I can't help but be nervous about all this fast building being done on a totally different continent, where a no-contingencies plan is set. Mariana, was there any concern about this issue by the Angolans?

The pregnant girl couldn't distinguish who the father is because "they all look alike"... ???

On another note, this is truly great journalism, like always Mariana does a great job. I like that it is presents both sides of the situation, the pros and cons.

It's pretty obvious that the chinese aren't doing charity works. It's all about exchange and trading which in a business sense is a pretty fair deal. (natural resource for development/ infrastructure etc.) How much it benefits the Angolian people is really dependent on how their poiticians/rulers make it out to be. The chinese are doing all the works to improve the country, so you can't really blame them. If they come to Africa in the similar approach as (US) AFRICOM, then you'll have something to be worried about.

I don't see a relationship on behalf of the prosperity for the Angolian people.This is clearly an invasion of Africa.
Great journalism on behalf of a marginalized people.

Mariana's journalism is always worth watching. Heavy on information, and light on "this is good, or that is bad."

Don't confuse a country's desire to obtain your resources with that country desiring to improve your country. The improvements happening in Angola are intended to facilitate the removal of resources. 80,000 Chinese workers need roads, hospitals, and improved ports. When the resources, and the Chinese are gone, Angola will have had little improvement.

there's chinese in every country in the world! my family is a chinese descendent, but we caim Cambodian because we can't speak chinese.

It seems like it's only a bad thing to the Americans who still think McCarthyist thoughts. America dips it's fingers in everyone else's business. China should be able to, as well. America needs to be put in it's place, instead of being the big bad world police.

Indeed an interesting pod. The concept of 'Chinatown' might be the colonialism of today. Well anyways, Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Well hopefully with this economic boom in africa that it'll help the people in some way, instead of the countries collapsing because of corruption. It's a great thing that more hospitals are being built, but at what price? since most the nations are stricken with poverty will the people be able to afford it? or because of the economic boom will will the people be able to afford more things like food education health care and so much more. the inflation rates of these countries are ridicules to the point were 80% or more of the people cannot afford to feed their families... So I hope that with the chinese being there that it helps that at the least, or will it throw africa even further into despair, I hope not.

Great as usual. Something I knew nothing about going on in the world. It will be something to watch. You feel for the people that say more controls need to be in place, but at the same time, maybe this is what it takes to get started in a place so in need. It's a dilemma, and I don't know the answer.

the progress in Angola is impressive and certainly, doubts will linger in the minds of people. Chinas impressive feat is awe inspiring and is something that other nations should examine closely. The world knows chinas vices and its been dissected and examine for everyones pleasure. Colonialism and capitalism will reinvent itself in so many ways and will always be accompanied with beauty and discontent.
This pod is very informative and it is shot so well.
thank you for sharing it with us and i am so thankful to be informed by this... thank you.

haha Chinese Karaoke is always entertaining to watch. your pods are always interesting and informative, thanks =D

This is a great installment of Vanguard. It can be taken for granted that Chinatowns are an American thing. Although they are, the ones in America aren't sponsored by the Chinese. This is an interesting look in the concept of Chinatown in which China is urging the population migration.

Truly an inspiring piece. A good representation of vanguard journalism at its best once again.