Kinas engasjement i Afrika og utviklingen av et trilateralt ekspertsamarbeid mellom Norge, Kina og Nigeria

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Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to address this trilateral seminar on different approaches to the common cause of promoting economic development in Nigeria. I would like to take this opportunity to express my support for the emerging dialogue between Norwegian and Chinese experts on Africa, which this meeting is a good example of.

The Norwegian Government recently launched a China Strategy. The strategy emphasises the new role China is playing in the world community and shows how the growing economic and geopolitical importance of the East-Asian region presents both opportunities and challenges for Norway.

We are all aware that China’s advance from the economic periphery of the world into the core group of the world’s leading economies will impact on the developing world, including many African countries, in a number of ways.

China’s growth rate and its demand for natural resources will reshape the world economy. China’s development will provide competition and opportunities across the board – for the rich economies of the North and for the emerging and the poor economies in the developing world. And with China’s growth and expansion the country bears increasing responsibility beyond its own borders.

China’s new strategic partnership with Africa – which was unveiled in Beijing at the November 2006 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) – marked a new and historic juncture in China-Africa relations.

China is now Africa’s third largest commercial partner after the United States and France, and the second largest exporter to Africa after France.

Africa is also undergoing change. The continent is becoming an increasingly important international actor – both politically and economically. Africa has enjoyed higher economic growth in recent years, and five of the ten fastest growing economies in the world are African.

Still there are enormous challenges ahead. The effects of climate change threaten development and growth. In parts of Southern Africa heavy rains are causing devastating floods. Robust adaptation strategies must be developed.

And although peace has been established in several African countries marked by years of war, peace is fragile, and the African continent is still a theatre of too many violent conflicts.

Norwegian and Chinese companies that invest in Africa, particularly in the petroleum sector, are directly affected by developments on the continent. And they, in turn, affect the developments in Africa.

China has become a major contributor of foreign bilateral aid to countries in Asia, Latin America and, not least, Africa. As a traditional donor, Norway welcomes this development. My country’s annual Official Development Assistance is close to 1 per cent of GNI, and Africa is by far the largest recipient.

However, Chinese aid is sometimes a source of concern to traditional donors. The question is raised whether the apparent lack of political strings attached will delay needed economic and political reform in African countries.

Or will economic development, aided by China, in itself lead to social reform? This is a topic of debate – among researchers, NGOs and the media - in Norway and many other donor countries.

It is impossible to tell exactly how the Chinese engagement has an impact on development in African countries. The effects may vary from country to country. And it is difficult to determine how any single country’s influence leads to a specific pattern of change. However, through trilateral research  we will gain better understanding – based on facts and findings – of how economic growth will benefit African countries.

It is Norway’s firm position that development assistance must be combined with a broad range of measures to promote peace, good governance, human rights, gender equality, increased investment and better market access for African goods.

Economic development does not occur in a vacuum. What are the social and political implications? And what should our objectives be? The international community has defined a number of values and positions, first and foremost through the United Nations. The Millennium Development Goals should be seen as common obligations for all.

So then you might ask: are China’s activities in Africa having an impact on political and social developments? The answer is yes, of course.

For example, China’s close relations with Sudan – economically and politically - are creating ties that entail both responsibilities and opportunities. The gravity of the dire situation in Darfur has been stressed by the United Nation Security Council. Few countries have better access to the leadership of Sudan than China. We have a right to expect that China uses its influence to persuade the Sudanese Government of its responsibility to follow the guidance of the Security Council, to make every effort to stop the mass violations of human rights in Darfur and to stop limiting the access of UN Peacekeeping troops.

In 2006, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs commissioned a study from the Christian Michelsen Institute (CMI), a Norwegian think tank. The institute was asked to present an assessment of the new Chinese engagement in Africa, and to identify and discuss implications for Norwegian foreign and development policy.

Norway’s development assistance and Norwegian companies’ engagement in the petroleum and energy sectors in Africa have provided us with experience and skills. Both Chinese and Norwegian companies are facing political and social risks connected with their investments and involvement – both more systemic risks and risks related to people’s safety and security.

One approach favoured by Norway is to assist African countries with capacity-building in the civil service. Better governance is a critical factor for social stability and justice.

The CMI study recommends that Norway should engage bilaterally with China on some of the issues I have already mentioned. This should be done at the political level, with policymakers in the civil service, with policy analysts in think tanks and with Chinese business interests.

These are recommendations that I fully endorse. Yesterday I had the opportunity to exchange views on development in Africa with my Chinese colleague. I am pleased to note that this event in Beijing today constitutes a concrete and very valuable follow-up. Hopefully, it will mark the beginning of mutually beneficial cooperation, both bilaterally between Norway and China, and trilaterally, together with African partners such as the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs

Let me add here that since Nigeria’s transition to multiparty democracy in 1999, Norway has been encouraged by the progress made in tackling many of the challenges facing the country. However, there are still a number of important challenges and tasks ahead. The critical situation in the Niger Delta is high on the Nigerian Government’s agenda. And the fight against corruption is still crucial to further progress.

There has been a renewed focus on good governance, and important initiatives have been launched. In particular, I would like to highlight the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), aimed at improving management of the country’s petroleum resources. Nigeria is a pioneer in the EITI field and possesses experience that may be useful to other developing countries.

The project report presented here at this seminar explores and compares the development approaches taken by Norwegian and Chinese authorities in Nigeria. The aim of the project was to gain a better understanding of the relationship between commercial investment and bilateral assistance.

International companies can play an important role in facilitating development by introducing new technology and by transferring knowledge.

However, companies can also stifle development by undermining governance through corrupt practices and other unethical behaviour.

The purpose of the project report – and this seminar - is both to exchange information and to improve Nigerian, Chinese and Norwegian policymakers’ understanding of the assistance provided and the development philosophy that underpins it.

The project is unique in that it has brought research institutions in the three countries together on a common mission, which is to form a basis for dialogue on bilateral engagement and possible areas of cooperation between the three governments.

I am confident that this joint effort by the Institute of West Asian and African Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and Econ Pöyry of Norway will prove fruitful. I look forward to study further the results of their findings and the recommendations made in the report

China in Africa – or rather the opportunities created by China’s increased presence in Africa – and the challenges that ensue – is a hot topic. There is, however, a lack of research projects with Chinese and African partners designed to identify what these opportunities and challenges really are. I am glad to see that this project is making a groundbreaking and valuable contribution in this respect.

So, dear friends, thank you for inviting me here. I wish you good luck with today’s discussions and your future cooperation. I would now like to give the floor to Mr Bjørn Brandtzæg of Econ Pöyry, who has been project leader for the study.