Doing Penance in Sudan
In Sudan, the FT reports that China will provide the al-Bashir government with a new loan for $200 million, which will constitute two-thirds of a planned Sudanese compensation payment to the war-devastated region of Darfur (full text here):
If the loan from China is provided specifically for compensation, it would mark a significant departure for a country whose financial support to African countries is normally provided for trade and infrastructure projects.
Significant departure, indeed. It seems to me that characterizing Chinese aid to Africa as earmarked for “trade and infrastructure projects” is a generous description. For example, providing an interest-free loan to build a new presidential palace in Sudan would hardly seem to count as either trade or infrastructure. No matter; China’s growth projects in Africa start to look a lot better in light of a peace-facilitating, stabilizing loans such as this one. Kudos to China for stepping up to the plate.
Still, we should not rush to give too much credit. This affair has the air of the sinner purchasing an indulgence. China is making a concerted (some would say obvious) effort to buy its way into the good graces of the international community, especially in light of activist attacks in the lead up to the Beijing Olympics. It’s a good strategy for China and one that’s likely to be effective, at least in the short run.
That doesn’t mean it’s enough. If I was a rebel group, knowing what China’s offering, I’d negotiate for a whole lot more than what’s on the table. The same goes for the international community, which needs to raise expectations for China’s behavior rather than being thrilled when it changes its course. That sort of tough negotiation won’t be popular or easy. But it’s the best way to ensure that China’s recent promises in Sudan and elsewhere become lasting committments.
