China facing criticism in Africa for 'shoddy' quality projects
Mar 19, 2022
Beijing [China], March 19 : China is facing severe criticism from across African countries over the poor quality of its infrastructure projects, with some nations even cancelling their agreements with the Chinese companies, said a media report.
Chinese projects are facing problems over "shoddy work" and "lack of transparency" on the part of their companies, reported the Hong Kong Post.
On February 11, the Department of Employment and Labour of South Africa filed a case against China's Huawei Technologies in South Africa for not complying with the Employment Equity Policy of the country.
Further, a Kenyan High Court last year ordered the cancellation of a USD 3.2 billion agreement between Kenya and China for failing to comply with the country's laws, according to the media outlet.
Expressing unhappiness over China's exploitative tendencies, President of the Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi has also called for a review of mining contracts signed with China in 2008. Noting that he wanted to get fairer deals for his country, Tshisekedi said, "Those with whom his
country signed contracts are getting richer while DRC people remain poor."
Notably, between 2000 to 2019, China signed 1,141 loan commitments worth USD 153 billion with the African governments and their state-owned enterprises, the media outlet reported citing the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.
However, with COVID-19 weighing down on economy, African countries are facing difficulties to service loans they have taken from China and thus they prefer to suspend controversial projects lacking unaccountability.
Moreover, China's projects under its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are also being resisted by local environment and civil society groups in Africa.
Thus, Beijing is facing several difficulties in implementing its projects in Africa amid public opposition over work quality, environmental and social concerns, according to the media outlet.
