IndexZambiaUgandaEthiopiaConclusionThe Encyclopedia Britannica defines imperialism as an extension of power and dominance through the direct acquisition of territory or the political and economic control of other areas . The 20th century was filled with so much political rivalry that any empirical power left was seen as a remnant of the past, and a new millennium was supposed to be welcomed with global integration, an era of human rights and democratic freedoms. However, some things are changing as we approach the end of the second decade of the 21st century, where the former bipolar world has been taken by storm by the rise of the Democratic Republic of China. It is no longer the starving rural country under Mao, it is the world's continuously growing second economic power that has cleverly conquered sectors that were previously perceived as a Western prerogative. The Chinese government has fueled innovation around the world, including in Africa, where investment and the integration of capitalism are fueling a vast apparatus that has yet to show its full potential, yet one thing is clear: China has great interests around the world, but particularly in Africa. has shown intense signs of neocolonialism or neoimperialism. That is why in this article we will explore the positive and negative effects of imperialism in Africa. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In September 2018, Xi Jinping gave a speech at the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), where he focused on common interests and a shared vision that entails “the responsibility to uphold peace and development through 'fraternal' cooperation and 'win-win' solutions”. Furthermore, the president promised an investment of 60 billion dollars in Africa, but the extent of their scope is unclear because everything happened without pompous publicity, but rather strategically with steps that can only be defined as imperialism. To date, China is Africa's largest trading partner thanks to huge investments in key sectors; it was able to take control of key raw materials and supplies, jobs and lands according to its own interests. This paper examines the extent to which Chinese investors are corroding the already unstable and unreliable systems in place, rather than promoting Africa's socioeconomic and political development. We have seen European power do this since the age of exploration, and now we see it again, by an Asian giant. Zambia The first case that stands out is in Zambia, where the famous Victoria Falls are located and, most famously, rich in copper. lands along with emerald mines and chemicals. Zambia has also been a major recipient of Chinese investment, but still faces “persistent unemployment and poverty… wondering where exactly the fruits of their lucrative deals with the Chinese have gone.” It even appears that the election of President Michael Sata in 2011 was largely based on the anti-Chinese sentiment of the population who demand “reliable and accurate information on the resources that are generated in the country or that come from foreign resources to develop Zambia”. ”. The massive exploitation of local workers by Chinese companies has led to several protests resulting in numerous injuries and even deaths, thus showing the negative side of Chinese operations: there are no feelings of protection among foreign managers brought from China towards population of Zambia. who work in their mines. Furthermore, the New Yorker article suggests that ongoing imperialism does not benefit the populationlocal, as there have been cases of tax avoidance allegedly costing the country two billion dollars a year, as well as the fact that most of the funds generated are siphoned off from Zambia, creating a case of peri-imperialism; something Europeans had done in the past: send raw materials to Europe and sell finished products in their imperial domains. To address this problem, the government plans to pass regulations that would require the reinvestment of Chinese profits within two months, but in reality there is a lack of evidence to demonstrate how successful this program has been in helping Zambia's local development. UgandaThroughout history, Uganda has been the scene of numerous atrocities and acts of unimaginable cruelty that have left a deep scar on the entire country. In the 19th century, Uganda was colonized by the British and gained formal independence only a hundred years later. However, within ten years the newfound independence turned into one of the most brutal dictatorships the African continent has ever seen. Ugandan President Idi Amin, who took power in a coup, launched a program of genocide to eliminate the Lango and Acholi ethnic groups. This atrocious campaign killed hundreds of thousands of Ugandans, severely weakened the country's institutions and left room for intervention by a foreign country. The foreign power that intervened was China, which is pursuing a second wave of imperialism in Africa, albeit in a different model than Europe. This wave of imperialism does not come with military interventions and direct government but rather takes on a “softer” form of economic dependence. However the objective remains the same, China wants to control Uganda's raw materials, natural resources and political agenda. Unlike the United States, which primarily provides financial aid to improve education and healthcare, Chinese businesses (or the government) have focused on investing in much-needed infrastructure in the form of loans that the Ugandan government has difficulty in providing. repay. In 2018, Uganda signed an agreement with China for a loan of $212.6 million for rural electrification, which is an urgent issue as the Ugandan government needs to achieve its goal in the electricity distribution sector. However, this agreement is only the initial phase, as the Chinese government has announced its plan to invest another $3 billion in the electricity sector. Uganda's electrification rate in rural areas is 7%, so additional funding for infrastructure is needed. However, the terms of this agreement are more similar to loan sharking practices, because there is almost no negotiation on the terms and the loan rate is incredibly high. The Ugandan government recognizes this threat as Matia Kasaija, Minister of Finance, wrote a concerned letter to Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda. The Independent reports the contents of this letter as follows: "We have noticed some critical issues in the financing agreement", writes Kasaija and lists three main areas: on China's insistence on providing all the technology and materials for the project, its insistence that Uganda opens an escrow account in Beijing and deposits money as collateral in case of default, and holding domestic assets as collateral in case of loan default. protect our assets from a possible takeover,” Kasaija told Museveni. As the letter shows, Kasaija is concerned about the terms of this agreement, because a minimal amount of jobs would be created as the Chinese government provides materials and labor. However, his main concern is that Uganda will be so indebtedwith China, that there could be a potential acquisition of natural resources, defense, security and other important assets. Furthermore, Kasaija highlights the importance of not opening an escrow account in Chinese banks and uses this as an example of how bad Chinese lending really is. According to the loan agreement, before China provides a loan, Uganda must open a repayment/reserve or escrow account and deposit money to cover the highest annual amount of interest and fees under the agreement as a guarantee in the event of any non-compliance. Kasaija warns Museveni that “this implies that the government will open an account in China and hold the money in that account for the duration of the loan.” “It seizes government funds that would otherwise be used to finance other development programs,” he says. Chinese banks create these escrow accounts so that the debt grows exponentially at an accelerated rate, making it virtually impossible or extremely expensive to repay. If the loan cannot be repaid, Chinese banks will seize all assets associated with the loan and unfortunately this is not the only loan with similar terms accepted by the Ugandan government. According to Kasaija, in fact, Uganda has already signed five loan agreements with almost identical conditions. They include the loan for the National Backbone & E-Government Phase III, the Kampala-Entebbe Airport Expressway, the Nsimba Hydropower Project, the Aviation Authority project and the Karuma Hydropower Dam. EthiopiaAnother glaring example of Chinese imperialism in Africa can be seen through The rapidly developing Ethiopia, which according to the World Bank has increased its GDP from about $7 billion in 1994 to $80 billion in 2018. It has also become a major attraction of the Chinese Belt Road initiative: a Ethiopia-Djibouti's $4 billion investment in rail has left the country largely indebted to the Export-Import Bank of China, one of 5,217 total Chinese investment projects in Ethiopia. Although the railway system is in operation, this project has not produced the expected profits, further aggravated by the fact that "it is not clear who receives the money" because it is managed by the Chinese company Shenzhen Metro Group, which also includes maintenance of the lines, virtually eliminating any Ethiopian involvement in making money. Furthermore, of these projects, approximately 400 have a value of over $4 billion and are already operational. The relationship between two countries can be called asymmetric, which is evident in the negative trade balance with the partner country, which on the other hand shows a positive result. Furthermore, the kind of model on which their partnership exists on paper is the development of a country, while in reality it is based on the “client-patron relationship between African ruling elites and China”. Some call this involvement of China “neo-colonialism”, which not everyone agrees with, however, one thing is clear: this puts Ethiopia in a vulnerable position as it further indebted it to Chinese investors, who bring the their own personnel to build and manage these massive infrastructure programs and further increase their role in the country. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion After examining several cases of Chinese involvement in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Zambia, evidence shows that the Chinese government is actively pursuing African countries, which are in desperate need of funding to expand their influence. In many cases, Chinese banks set conditions that make repayment highly unlikely, and China is.