Peking versus Taipei in the World Arena: Chinese Competition in Africa

Abstract

Africa has become a battlefield in the Chinese civil war. Only token artillery exchanges take place along the Fukien coast today. The major theatre of conflict between the Chinese Communists and the Chinese Nationalists has been transferred from Chinese soil onto foreign territory. The world now provides the arena in which these two contenders compete for supremacy. The Middle East, Southeast Asia, Latin America and other regions have all experienced Chinese competition, but nowhere has the rivalry become more intense than in Africa. Admittedly, this competition has not been a struggle between equals. Nevertheless, each side has possessed both advantages and disadvantages. Peking has benefited generally from its size and military power. It has thus easily gained the upper hand in Southeast Asia. But these factors are not an unmitigated advantage, nor have they always been decisive. Taipei has been able to maintain its predominant position in Latin America, except for Cuba, at least on the formal diplomatic level. The influence of the United States and the dominance of Catholicism in this area have been factors aiding Taipei. When one turns to Africa, however, many of the advantages encountered by Peking and Taipei elsewhere disappear. Prior to the late 1950's, neither Peking nor Taipei had extensive contacts with Africa. Nor did either government have a direct stake in the region. Moreover, Africa itself was tabula rasa with respect to the China issue. Most of the new African nations held no prior bias against either Peking or Taipei. Peking and Taipei could thus both approach Africa as virgin and uncommitted territory. It is precisely the newness of the venture that makes Chinese competition in Africa intriguing. Both contenders began their African assault de novo. Each has had to experiment and innovate according to the African response. At present, however, both Peking and Taipei are deeply involved in Africa. For Taipei, it is no less than a struggle for survival. Peking's self-styled role as the leader of the African-Asian-Latin American world is also at stake. Against this background, a study of the Chinese power struggle in Africa assumes great significance. There is another reason for studying Chinese rivalry in Africa closely. There has been a tendency to assume that only major powers or Communist states utilize such instruments of foreign policy as foreign aid, goodwill missions and similar programs to score political gains. However, we shall discover that today, big and small nations, Communists and non-