On Jul 16, 8:52 am, John Holmes <jhol...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Tue, 15 Jul 2008, nada wrote:
> > On Jul 15, 12:20 pm, John Holmes <jhol...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> >> On Tue, 15 Jul 2008, nada wrote:
> >>> Chinese state capitalism in action...wannabe imperialists:
>
> >>> China steps up investment in Congo as war in east continues
> >>> By John Farmer and Ann Talbot
> >>> 15 July 2008
>
> >>> The Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the process of receiving
$=
9
> >>> billion of Chinese investment in what has been dubbed Congo=92s
> >>> =93Marshall Aid Plan,=94 a reference to American refinancing of
Europ=
e at
> >>> the end of the World War II.
>
> >>> The Chinese are not concerned with rebuilding the economy in Congo
> >>> after the destruction of the 1998-2003 war, in which more than five
> >>> million people died, mainly from disease and starvation. The accord
> >>> between China and DRC signed on January 28 is meant to provide China
> >>> the much needed cheap resources for its booming economy=97and the
Con=
go
> >>> elite greater op****tunities to enrich themselves.
>
> >>> China=92s Ex****t Im****t Bank, Exim, pledged finance for major road
an=
d
> >>> rail construction projects and for the rehabilitation of its mining
> >>> sector, badly damaged by years of war, corruption and neglect.
> >>> According to re****ts, China has already dispatched 5,000 containers
> >>> holding mining equipment to renovate mines involved in Katanga
> >>> province. Oliver Kamatu, DRC planning minister, said $3 billion will
> >>> go towards bringing mining back into operation and $6 billion on
> >>> infrastructure projects.
>
> >>> Full:http://wsws.org/articles/2008/jul2008/cong-j15.shtml
>
> >> Weird posting, David.
>
> >> This is *much* better than one would have expected from the Chinese
> >> Stalinists.
>
> >> After the US-sponsored war which killed some 4 million people, the
> >> Chinese are rebuilding, clearing the mines, doing all the things that
> >> the USA should be doing and isn't and never would.
>
> >> A Marshall Plan for the Congo. Cool!
>
> >> The source says they aren't really concerned with the people of the
> >> Congo so much as China's needs? Well, what do you expect? They are
> >> Stalinists, after all.
>
> >> -jh-
>
> > These investments help nobody but the Chinese companies involved. As
> > is well known, Chinese companies work on a profit and loss system,
> > just like US or French companies do. They are known as ruthless
> > exploiters of their workforces, again, no different than imperialist
> > ones. They are akin to Taiwanese and Korean companies who are
> > *notorious* for violence against their workers, anti-unionism and part
> > time work.
>
> > The Chinese are *practicing* at being imperialists. And doing a good
> > job, I might add.
>
> > David
>
> Hasty reading on my part. I thought they were clearing minefields, not
> just clearing out mines. But still, nine billion in investment and
> rebuilding of infrastructure seems likely to help the Congolese
> economy a lot, and therefore the people of the Congo. The assertion by
> the Northites that this "Marshall Plan" is "not concerned with
> rebuilding the economy" seems based only on their political
> prejudices, not any facts in the posting.
>
> The Chinese companies investing in Africa are, my impression is,
> privately owned, and therefore wannabe Chinese imperialists, and have
> been known to ruthlessly exploit workforces, not least in China itself
> of course. I recall we had a posting here on apst a few months ago in
> which a Chinese embassador to one on the African countries gave 'em a
> public slap on the wrist for giving China a bad name.
>
> But that nine billion in investment surely mostly was from the
> government, not from the companies, and must be largely in the form of
> aid or low-interest loans, as the Congo is far too broke to be able to
> get that much aid any other way.
>
> -jh-
But John, all imperialist investment does the *exact same thing*.
Certainly you are not for *imperialist* investment that contorts local
economies around ex****t capitalism are you? What *difference* is there
between Chinese investments and Imperialist ones, pray tell? Does the
local victims, the working class and farmers, see a difference?
David
|
