More Balance

ChinAfrica is written in professional manner while blending strategies of China and African economies and cultures. My preferred articles are: the experience of Chinese companies or businesspeople in Africa, experience of Africans doing business with China and those Africans who are living in China.

I like to read the economic and cultural exchange between the China and Africa. Maybe, you can try to make the journal more balanced even though it is written from China, so that you may increase readership. I will submit more comments as I read more copies of the journal in different situations. One copy is not enough to reach a genuine conclusion.

Kadozi Edward  

Rwanda 

World Expo

The Shanghai World Expo is already a big success, even in the early days of the event. I visited the Africa Pavilion and received a big surprise at the many countries on display and the way in which the big space was decorated. Unfortunately on the day I visited many of the art and craft items for the African Craft Markets around the pavilion had not yet arrived from Africa, so it all looked a bit bare. I am sure by now the situation has been rectified.

I must however say that many country displays appeared very plain and lacked imagination. Along with this there was not a sense of learning anything about certain countries, as there was little information to be had. I think more Chinese visitors were interested in posing for photographs with anyone in traditional African dress than they were to learn about the many countries. It is a good opportunity for many Chinese to realize that Africa is not one big country and that each country has its own uniqueness, although I must say when seen collectively on display very many African countries do tend to portray themselves the same, with wildlife, grass huts, masks and drums being seen over and over again. The bigger African pavilions of South Africa, Egypt, Angola, Libya and Tunisia give a better insight into who they are and what they represent.

The fact that China has organized such a big event, again after the Olympics, shows just how much the country has developed and become more confident in recent past.

Andrew Mickleson

South Africa    

Ivory Ban

I was interested to read your article about the elephant ivory, "Tusk Management" - May issue. I did not know that the Chinese Government has put in place such tough measures to combat poaching of elephant ivory. We are led to understand that China buys all the ivory from Africa, legal or illegal.

I read a BBC online story at the end of last year that said Traffic, the wildlife trade-monitoring network, reported most of the illegal ivory ends up in China, although Viet Nam is developing as a market. The report said that while China had taken steps to monitor the ivory trade, Chinese nationals were involved in at least 134 ivory seizure cases, totaling over 16 tons of ivory. "As ever, more than any other country, China seemingly holds the key for reversing the upward trend in illicit trade in ivory," quoted the report. It would seem that it is the black market trade in ivory, more than the controlled outlets selling the legal ivory from stockpiles that is the major headache. Let's hope China's tough stance on this, as reported in ChinAfrica, will help to stop our elephants from the fate of a poacher's bullet. Like the World Wildlife Fund ad says, when the demand stops the supply will also stop.

Aikona Minta

Zimbabwe

Business Advice

I know many of your readers are keen to do business with China, myself included. We need information on how we can do this. Of course Chinese ways of doing things must be very different to our own ways, but where can we find out these ways? Can you write a regular advice for us on business practice in China? How do we get started? What are the traps we need to be careful of? Of course all people need to learn from their own mistakes, but if someone has already made these mistakes can they share with the readers please? Also what types of trade are best? And what about the culture difference? How does this affect business and how can it be overcome? We look forward to any help you can offer through your magazine.

Stephen Moyo

Namibia

Coups and Such

Your somewhat optimistic article titled "Governing Through the Barrel of a Gun" [May Issue, 2010] refers. The major reason behind the ever-present African coup is simple. Low income and no growth. Blame the old crony colonialism, the arch whipping boy, if you will, but as the saying goes, if you want to find the real reason for any wrong doing, then just follow the money. These bloated corrupt leaders on our continent who have passed their sell-by-date and strut about as if it is their god given right to rule indefinitely, let the blame be on their heads. It is always about the "what's in it for me?" syndrome. Coups are just one hand shaking the other, then reneging on promises made. As long as those in power treat their positions as their own fiefdom and see the people's livelihood as an inconvenience to their corrupt ways, then coups will be an ever-present feature of Africa. It makes you wonder if it really is better the devil you know?

A. K. Bingwa

Botswana