It's Not Bait

by Zhao Changhui

January 28, 2012 was a Saturday. It was also the day that the African Union (AU) Conference Center was inaugurated and the day its 18th AU Summit began in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi proposed plans for the headquarters in 2006, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held in 2008. Construction took a year and a half from June 2009 until the complex's completion on December 23, 2011. The project cost $200 million and was funded by the Chinese government. The AU Conference Center covers 132,000 square meters of land area and is composed of three parts: an office building, a conference building, and ancillary facilities. At 99.9 meters high, the main 20-story structure commemorates the AU's founding date, September 9, 1999. 

No doubt the headquarters is an architectural landmark in Addis Ababa. The U-shaped complex is designed to be efficient and green, the axis of the original AU headquarters is imaginatively connected with the axis of the new conference center, and the trapezoid plaza is extraordinary. It is also the tallest building in the Ethiopian capital.

The complex's significance is far-reaching. It is not only a new role model of Africa-China cooperation but also a symbol of Africa's rise.

Unsurprisingly, it has also provoked some concerns, even criticism. One critic is Chika Ezeanya, an African Studies doctoral candidate at Howard University in the United States. In her article "Tragedy of the New AU Headquarters," she argues that the ultra-modern new AU headquarters is an "African tragedy." She says that because the AU headquarters was designed, built and is now maintained by a foreign country, efforts to "reverse the derogatory perception of Africa and Africans by all non-Africans [have] suffered another major setback." She also asserts that this "China's gift to Africa" is equivalent to a "Trojan horse" – a tool of political manipulation and economic domination. Her arguments question China's sincerity and the intelligence of African leaders.

Perhaps Ms. Ezeanya has deeper insight into the endless sufferings brought on by Western colonists in the past. In fact, this past colonization still plagues Africa emotionally, culturally, economically and politically. Chinese civilization historically has been characterized by moderation and tolerance. The principles China adheres to in international affairs are peace, justice and mutual benefit. The AU headquarters is a prime opportunity to promote these virtues on the global stage. For modern, democratic Africa, this is not only a historical monument – it's a historical moment.