U.S. wary of China's influence in Africa

PRETORIA, South Africa — Chinese President Hu Jintao pledged to boost his country's booming relationship with Africa on Tuesday, as he brought a 12-day Africa tour to the continent's economic powerhouse.

Hu's trip, in which he has lavished promises of economic partnership on half-a-dozen nations but steered clear of controversial political issues, has become a symbol of China's intense courtship of Africa.

The growing relationship has been viewed with trepidation by many in the West. U.S. officials, who see Africa as an alternative source of oil to the Middle East, have worried particularly about competition with China for the continent's resources.

As if to emphasize the competition for influence, U.S. officials on Tuesday announced formation of a new regional military command for Africa. Responsibility for the continent previously had been split between the European command and the Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East.

New Africa Command

Countering the rising influence of China was not a direct reason for creation of the new Africa Command, said a Pentagon official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the new command publicly. But "there is a recognition ... that [China] has a rising influence," the official said. "There needs to be an understanding of what the U.S. role is and what the Chinese role is."

In addition to military planning, the Bush administration has sharply increased aid to Africa over the past several years, particularly to combat AIDS. So far, however, the Chinese approach, focusing on economic cooperation, appears to be gaining ground.

Bush has not visited Africa since his first term. By contrast, top Chinese officials have relayed across the continent every few months, winning points with no-strings-attached promises of economic support.

"China's charm offensive in Africa is second to none," said Philip Alves, an economist with the South African Institute of International Affairs.

"They do a lot of stuff in Africa. They don't see Africa as a burden. They see it as an opportunity. They don't see African leaders as hopeless and corrupt. They see them as equals worthy of respect. They've tried very hard, and I think that's why they're winning friends in Africa."

By contrast, U.S. Ambassador Eric Bost has complained about the difficulty he has had in arranging meetings with South African officials.

Many African leaders and politicians resent the way U.S. and European leaders try to tie loans and aid to human rights, democracy and governance issues.

On Tuesday, Hu emphasized China's aid and the absence of political strings as he tried to turn criticism by U.S. officials to his advantage.

Last week, U.S. officials said Hu had sent a "mixed message" about the humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur during his visit to Sudan, where he had promised aid to the Sudanese government, but failed to publicly press for an end to the fighting.

Human rights issues

The U.S. has described attacks on villages by militias with links to the Sudanese government as "genocide" and has pressed for sanctions against Sudanese officials. China has blocked sanctions in the U.N. Security Council.

Hu said that he had raised the issue of Darfur with the Sudanese President, Omar el Bashir, and that he hoped it would be settled peacefully.

At a joint news conference Tuesday with South African President Thabo Mbeki, Hu contrasted the U.S. approach with his own.

"The relationship between Africa and China is based on equality, mutual trust and win-win outcomes," he said. "China doesn't interfere in other countries' internal affairs."

China is Sudan's biggest investor and buys two-thirds of its oil. During his visit there, Hu offered a $12.9 million interest-free loan to build a presidential palace for Sudan, wrote off $70 million in debts to China, reduced import tariffs on Sudanese goods, offered a $77.4 million loan for infrastructure and a grant of $40 million.

In the Zambian capital, Lusaka, Hu promised an "economic partnership zone" in the country's copper mining belt, designed to attract $800 million in Chinese investment and create 60,000 jobs.

The only African leader to have raised questions on China's direction in Africa is South Africa's Mbeki. Last year, he warned that Africa must guard against a "colonial" relationship in which China would extract African resources and send them back as manufactured goods instead of investing in African manufacturing.

Los Angeles Times reporter Julian E. Barnes contributed to this report.