PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma was visiting China when it was announced that that country had overtaken Japan to become the world’s second biggest economy.
This statistic alone ought to have erased doubt about South Africa’s drive to build strong relations with China.
China’s consumption of resources such as iron ore and coal, which this country has in abundance, make such a relationship essential to our economic prospects.
But there is an uneasiness about the growing friendship which cannot be dismissed simply because China presents huge economic opportunities.
China’s labour practices are at odds with those of South Africa, which has one of the most protected labour markets in the world.
When we enter into trade with China, we do so with one hand tied behind our backs because of the exploitative wages that China’s workers are paid.
South Africa’s manufacturing sector is at a massive disadvantage because of this. This is partly because our labour market is overprotected, but it is mostly because many of China’s workers work for very little.
South Africa’s liberal democratic political framework stands in contrast to China’s liberalising, but still authoritarian, government.
While we have a constitution which enshrines freedom of speech and expression, China continues to discourage independent criticism and is dominated by kowtowing state media in both print and broadcasting.
There is some evidence that the Chinese model enjoys the support of some in very powerful positions in our society, but the vast majority of citizens value our open society and their right to know.
Then there is China’s aggressive drive for influence in Africa which threatens national sovereignty. Some go so far as to describe this as “the new imperialism”.
It’s approach to building infrastructure — shipping in prison labour rather than passing on skills and hiring locals — is at odds with our developmental needs.
South Africa has resisted tying its flag to the mast of any major power and has carved out a niche as a country which walks its own path in global affairs.
This would be threatened if China aggressively enters the economy and offers to build cut-price infrastructure in exchange for greater global influence.
South Africa’s eager-to-please attitude which was displayed when the Dalai Lama’s visit was prevented last year, is a sign of this sort of influence-peddling.
What South Africa has to accomplish is the very difficult balance between building better relations with China while retaining this country’s corporate and social culture.
To do anything less would be to place in jeopardy the matrix of values this country has been built on.

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