Hearing on China's Strategic Aims in Africa
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HEARING ON CHINA’S STRATEGIC AIMS IN AFRICA HEARING BEFORE THE U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC AND SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020 Printed for use of the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission Available via the World Wide Web: www.uscc.gov UNITED STATES-CHINA ECONOMIC AND SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION WASHINGTON: 2020 U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC AND SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION ROBIN CLEVELAND, CHAIRMAN CAROLYN BARTHOLOMEW, VICE CHAIRMAN Commissioners: ANDREAS A. BORGEAS THEA MEI LEE BOB BOROCHOFF KENNETH LEWIS JEFFREY L. FIEDLER HON. JAMES M. TALENT HON. CARTE P. GOODWIN MICHAEL R. WESSEL ROY D. KAMPHAUSEN LARRY M. WORTZEL The Commission was created on October 30, 2000 by the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for 2001 § 1238, Public Law No. 106-398, 114 STAT. 1654A-334 (2000) (codified at 22 U.S.C. § 7002 (2001), as amended by the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for 2002 § 645 (regarding employment status of staff) & § 648 (regarding changing annual report due date from March to June), Public Law No. 107-67, 115 STAT. 514 (Nov. 12, 2001); as amended by Division P of the “Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003,” Pub L. No. 108-7 (Feb. 20, 2003) (regarding Commission name change, terms of Commissioners, and responsibilities of the Commission); as amended by Public Law No. 109- 108 (H.R. 2862) (Nov. 22, 2005) (regarding responsibilities of Commission and applicability of FACA); as amended by Division J of the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008,” Public Law Nol. 110-161 (December 26, 2007) (regarding responsibilities of the Commission, and changing the Annual Report due date from June to December); as amended by the Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, P.L. 113-291 (December 19, 2014) (regarding responsibilities of the Commission). The Commission’s full charter is available at www.uscc.gov. Back to Table of Contents CONTENTS FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020 CHINA’S STRATEGIC AIMS IN AFRICA Opening Statement of Vice Chairman Carolyn Bartholomew (Hearing Co-Chair) .........................................................................................................5 Prepared Statement ...........................................................................................................7 Opening Statement of Commissioner Andreas Borgeas (Hearing Co-Chair) .........................................................................................................8 Prepared Statement .........................................................................................................10 Panel I: Goals of China’s Africa Policy and Consequences of Beijing’s Influence Panel I Introduction by Vice Chairman Carolyn Bartholomew (Hearing Co-Chair) .......................................................................................................12 Statement of Amb. David Shinn Adjunct Professor, George Washington University...........................................................13 Prepared Statement..........................................................................................................15 Statement of Yun Sun Senior Fellow and Co-Director of East Asia Program, Stimson Center ........................25 Prepared Statement .........................................................................................................27 Statement of Steven Feldstein Nonresident Fellow, Carnegie Endowment of International Peace ...............................38 Prepared Statement .........................................................................................................41 Panel I: Question and Answer............................................................................................56 Panel II: China’s Evolving Economic Activity in Africa Panel II Introduction by Commissioner Andreas Borgeas (Hearing Co-Chair) .......................................................................................................74 Statement of Panelist Emily de La Bruyère Principal, Horizon Advisory ..........................................................................................75 Prepared Statement .........................................................................................................77 Statement of Scott Morris Director, US Development Policy Initiative, Co-Director, Sustainable Development Finance, and Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development .......................................91 Prepared Statement .........................................................................................................94 Statement of Aubrey Hruby Senior Fellow, Africa Center, Atlantic Council ..........................................................102 Prepared Statement .......................................................................................................104 Panel II: Question and Answer .......................................................................................115 Back to Table of Contents Panel III: China’s Military and Security Presence in Africa Panel III Introduction by Vice Chairman Carolyn Bartholomew (Hearing Co-Chair) .....................................................................................................133 Statement of Joshua Meservey Senior Policy Analyst, Heritage Foundation ................................................................134 Prepared Statement .......................................................................................................136 Statement of Paul Nantulya Research Associate, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University ......................................................................................................................................150 Prepared Statement .......................................................................................................152 Statement of Judd Devermont Director, Africa Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies ...................163 Prepared Statement .......................................................................................................166 Panel III: Question and Answer .......................................................................................176 STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD Statement of Christopher Maloney Acting Assistant Administrator in the Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development ................................................................................................................196 ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD All Panels .........................................................................................................................201 Back to Table of Contents CHINA’S STRATEGIC AIMS IN AFRICA FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020 U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC AND SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION Washington, DC The Commission met via videoconference at 9:30 a.m., Vice Chairman Carolyn Bartholomew and Commissioner Andreas Borgeas (Hearing Co-Chairs) presiding. OPENING STATEMENT OF VICE CHAIRMAN CAROLYN BARTHOLOMEW HEARING CO-CHAIR VICE CHAIRMAN BARTHOLOMEW: Good morning, and welcome to the fifth hearing of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission's 2020 Annual Report cycle. Thank you all for joining us. Especially thanks to our witnesses for the time and effort that they have put into their testimonies. I would also like to thank the Senate Recording Studio for live streaming this event. I would particularly like to express appreciation to the terrific Commission staff who worked on this hearing: Will Green, Leyton Nelson, and Brittney Washington. Over the past two decades, Africa has emerged as a centerpiece of China's international strategy. Accordingly, China has significantly expanded its economic and political footprint across the continent. Regional and global initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation serve as mechanisms for Beijing to promote its development model and foreign policy agenda. Forty-four of Africa's 54 countries have signed onto the Belt and Road Initiative, and China has emerged as the leading financier and builder of infrastructure projects across the continent. China is also rapidly building up its presence in Africa's fast-growing digital economy and has dominated the construction of Africa's telecom infrastructure. For the Chinese government, the advantages of engaging with Africa are clear. China has used its investment in Africa to gain access to the continent's vast commodity resources, including oil, precious metals, and minerals crucial to the production of emerging technologies such as electric vehicle batteries. Africa also represents an attractive market for China's construction firms, which face excess capacity at home and are eager to find new outlets. However, many times the benefits of these projects do not flow to the broader African workforce. China's funding of Africa's infrastructure projects also often comes with requirements that borrower countries select Chinese suppliers, making it more difficult for other countries, including the United States, to participate in Africa's infrastructure projects. Beijing has also been able to leverage its engagement in Africa into support on the international stage. For instance, China has used its presence in Africa to isolate Taiwan diplomatically. All African nations, with the exception of Eswatini, have recognized Beijing Back to Table of Contents 5 over Taipei. African