Russia to help Uganda develop nuclear energy
September 18, 2019
Russia’s state-owned companies have been at a key part of the strategy to bolster Moscow’s presence on the continent.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s is seeking to use his country’s uranium deposits to develop nuclear power.
Russia To Help Uganda Develop Nuclear Energy
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French Agronomist Proves that China’s “Land Grab” in Africa Is a Myth
PARIS, Sept. 16, 2019 – After the nomination of Chinese biologist, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China Qu Dongyu, as Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on June 23, rumors went wild against the alleged Chinese plot to “take over” African food production.
French agronomist Jean-Jacques Gabas, a scientist, who traveled over Africa to investigate the situation, offered some clarity to {Le Monde} on September 13.
In effect, China became the head of the Organization for Industrial Development, the International Union for Tele-communications, the International Organization of Civil Aviation and, between 2016 and 2018, of Interpol.
“As a matter of fact, OECD financing of agriculture has been very poor over the last 30 years. It fell increasingly and led to the 2008 food crisis…. When you discuss the Chinese strategy with African agriculture ministers, they tell you: ‘Stop giving advice and creating fear. What did you finance over the last 30 years? Very little, given the need.’ And they aren’t mistaken,” he pointed out.
Asked if China wants to develop its imports of African agriculture products, Gabas, debunking what so many people fear.
“No. Since the end of the 2000, Beijing certainly is the first trading partner of Sub-Saharan Africa, but the share of agriculture in African exports to China represents only 2-3% of trade volume, almost nothing. China’s investments in African rice and sugar production go to regional African markets. Of course, Africa has 1.4 billion people to feed, which makes it very dependent on food imports. However, China knows that in world economic crises, notably in case of a food crisis in Africa, prices will be shaky and products will become scarce, impacting China’s domestic cereal production. China also wants to stabilize the African continent’s food production. What it imports from Africa are rubber, manioc for food packaging, and, depending on the years, peanuts, cotton, and wood. South African vineyards are also bought for export purposes. All of this implies very low volumes, far less than African food exports to Europe or those of mining products and fossil fuels to Africa….
Chinese companies are present and profit from market and investment opportunities, but without a marked strategy to ‘feed China.'”
Asked about the allegation of Chinese “land grabbing,” Gabas answers: “Respecting Chinese land acquisitions, viable statistics tell us that China is not number 1 and comes in only as 8th or 9th. Be it land for farming, mining, forestry, or rubber production, the largest investors remain OECD countries (U.S.A., U.K., and France), national companies or Gulf States such as Saudi Arabia. One observes that whenever the Chinese buy land and a conflict arises about the land or with part of the population, they retreat or change the nature of the utilization. … Chinese land grabbing is a myth.”
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Italian economist Antonino Galloni discusses principles of economic growth for developing nations.
Speaking from Xi’an, China on Sept. 12
“Africa and countries with an higher rate of demographic growth and lower GDP growth should promote a higher domestic growth,” Galloni said, by “improving their domestic industries, substitute imports, upgrading infrastructure, building efficient connections with Europe and the rest of the world.” Those countries should “export less raw materials and semi-finished products, create a productive capacity to fulfill the domestic demand and cut down low-wage exports.”
Galloni recalled that the first economist who understood this was the Italian Antonio Serra, at the end of 16th century, who demonstrated to the Spanish Viceroy in Naples that national wealth was not achieved through gold or silver, through taxation or selling raw materials, but “by improving the industriousness of citizens, mainly by education.”
Galloni also pushed the Transaqua project to bring water to Sub- Saharan Africa.
“Recently industrialized countries, like China, have correctly chosen to increase domestic demand instead of exports.” Investments in infrastructure, higher wages and employment are compatible with the increase of profits, but not with the “increase of the rate of profit,” which is typical of stock markets and financial investments.