China as global hegemon?

[allperils]

Since when has China ever sought to be a Globel Hegemon anyway? Are there any actions that show they are?

[headhonchoII]

Japan has Pokemon, now China has Hegemon, the copying b#@tards!

[finley]

No worries, it'll probably fall to pieces as soon as someone takes off the wrapper.

Anyway, seriously OP, yes there are. China is targeting places that don't make the news because they don't exist for American news-consumers. The most conspicuous are the land grabs in Africa. In theory, the Chinese investors are offering 'development' for the locals and paying a fair price for the land lease. In practice, China haven't got a clue what development is: China's official IHDI is slightly higher that the Philippines, Vietnam, and Kyrgyzstan, and somewhat lower than Thailand and Gabon. Yet they're strutting around the world stage attempting to civilise the natives.

The result is that the promised infrastructure and buildings they install are substandard and don't last very long: Chinese engineering is decades behind the state-of-the-art and they certainly have no innovations that would benefit African countries. The natives are restless and the Chinese are starting to irritate them. The land deals are mostly under-the-table (remember Madagascar?) and are generally a loss-making proposition - that is, the land is being leased at well below fair value, especially where the host country isn't making good use of it to begin with. China has regular squabbles and glaring-over-the-border sessions with India (like it actually matters where one draws the line between rocks and sheep on this side and on that side). And do we need to even mention Tibet and Taiwan?

[Jack Burton]

nice post. finley. China has plenty of problems at home, nevermind Africa lol

[Baas Babelaas]

As an African I would quite like them to stay the hell out of Africa.

I've heard nothing but bad news stories re. the Chinese in Africa - http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6581/zambia_mine_shooting_blights_chinese_development_in_africa/