ÇİN - AFRİKA İŞ BİRLİĞİ: AFRİKA’NIN SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİR KALKINMASI İÇİN TEHDİT Mİ YOKSA FIRSAT MI?
Date
2021-11-09
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Abstract
Afrika ülkeleri 1960’lı yıllarla birlikte kolonyal devletlerden bağımsızlıklarını
kazanmaya başlamışlardır. Ancak o dönemden günümüze iç savaşlar, askeri darbeler,
devlet otoritesi zayıflığı, ekonomik durgunluk ya da küçülme, altyapı yetersizliği, eğitim
ve sağlık hizmetlerinin yetersizliği ve yoksulluk gibi politik, ekonomik ve sosyal
istikrarsızlıklar yaşamış ve az gelişmişlik olgusunun merkezinde yer almışlardır. Afrika
ülkelerinin yaşadıkları bu istikrarsızlıklar kıta vatandaşlarının yaşam kalitelerini
olumsuz etkilediği gibi salgın hastalıkların yayılması, uluslararası terör ve suç unsurların
kıtada yerleşip güçlenmesi ve kıta vatandaşlarının toplu göç hareketleri gibi küresel
riskler de barındırmıştır. 21. yüzyılda küresel ekonomik bir güç haline gelen Çin ise
2000 yılında kıta ülkeleri ile Çin-Afrika İş Birliği Forumu (FOCAC) adı altında
ekonomik, sosyal ve politik boyutları olan geniş kapsamlı bir iş birliğine başlamıştır.
Otokratik yapısı ve ekonomiye devlet müdahalesi ile Batı ülkelerinden farklı bir
kalkınma modeli izlemiş olan Çin’in FOCAC kapsamında Afrika ülkeleri ile iş birliğinin
gittikçe yoğunlaşması ise, bu iş birliğinin Afrika ülkelerinin sürdürülebilir kalkınmaları
nezdinde hem olumlu hem olumsuz yorumlara yol açmıştır. FOCAC kıtanın altyapı
ihtiyaçlarını gidererek, eğitim ve sağlık gibi kamu hizmetlerini iyileştirerek ve iş
olanakları yaratarak Afrika ülkelerinin modernleşmesine katkı sunmaktadır. Ancak, iç
meşruiyeti tartışmalı liderlere kendi ekonomik çıkarları doğrultusunda destek olması, iş
birliklerinde ağırlıklı olarak kendi stratejilerini uygulaması ve iç işlere karışmama ve iş
birliği için politik ya da ekonomik koşullar öne sürmeme prensipleri; ulusal kimliğini
oluşturamamış, vatandaş-devlet sosyal mutabakatını tesis edememiş ve kalkınma
politikaları oluşturup uygulama konusunda zayıf kalan Afrika ülkelerinin sürdürülebilir
kalkınmalarına katkısı bakımından soru işaretlerini de doğurmaktadır.
Description
China – Africa Cooperation: A Threat or an Opportunity for
Sustainable Development in Africa?
ABSTRACT: The 1960s saw many African countries attaining their independence from colonial powers. Yet, to date, these emerging states have passed through many economic, political and social instabilities such as civil wars, coups, weak state authority, economic stagnation or decline, poverty, weak infrastructure, inadequate education and health services those have maintained the continent to be labelled as low developed. Aforementiomed instabilities not only have reduced the living standards of the people of the continent, but also have posed concerns to other parts of the world such as risks of spread of diseases, international terrorism or crime groups, and mass migration out of the continent. China, which has become a global economic power by the 21st century, initiated a wide-ranging cooperation platform with African countries in the year 2000 that has political, economic, and social dimensions and named Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). As per China has taken a different development path from the West by its autocratic political structure and state intervention in the economy, the increasing level of cooperations between African countries and China through FOCAC has led both favorable and unfavorable comments by means of sustainable development in Africa. FOCAC favors African modernization by satisfying infrastructure needs, improving the quality of public services such as education and health, and by creating job opportunities. On the other hand, China has supported African leaders whose internal legitimacy has been controversial in accordance with its economical interests. Further, China does not require political or economic preconditions from African states for cooperation. These aspects do raise questions concerning sustainable development in African countries in which national identity and a state-citizen social contract has not yet been adeqautely established and whose developmental capacity is weak.
ABSTRACT: The 1960s saw many African countries attaining their independence from colonial powers. Yet, to date, these emerging states have passed through many economic, political and social instabilities such as civil wars, coups, weak state authority, economic stagnation or decline, poverty, weak infrastructure, inadequate education and health services those have maintained the continent to be labelled as low developed. Aforementiomed instabilities not only have reduced the living standards of the people of the continent, but also have posed concerns to other parts of the world such as risks of spread of diseases, international terrorism or crime groups, and mass migration out of the continent. China, which has become a global economic power by the 21st century, initiated a wide-ranging cooperation platform with African countries in the year 2000 that has political, economic, and social dimensions and named Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). As per China has taken a different development path from the West by its autocratic political structure and state intervention in the economy, the increasing level of cooperations between African countries and China through FOCAC has led both favorable and unfavorable comments by means of sustainable development in Africa. FOCAC favors African modernization by satisfying infrastructure needs, improving the quality of public services such as education and health, and by creating job opportunities. On the other hand, China has supported African leaders whose internal legitimacy has been controversial in accordance with its economical interests. Further, China does not require political or economic preconditions from African states for cooperation. These aspects do raise questions concerning sustainable development in African countries in which national identity and a state-citizen social contract has not yet been adeqautely established and whose developmental capacity is weak.
Keywords
international relations