Chinese concrete paves the way for African prosperity

On January 16th, the website of Uganda's "New View" published an article titled "Where the West and China Lead Us: The Calculation of Gains and Losses", written by Salim Avila Asuman, a researcher at the Uganda China Ukraine Research Center. The article is compiled as follows:

In recent years, China Africa cooperation has achieved fruitful results in key areas such as transforming infrastructure, promoting trade, enhancing industrialization, and driving economic growth

Looking back at these achievements, one thing is obvious: these investments and collaborations are putting Uganda and the African continent on a path of long-term prosperity. The following is an evaluation of specific outcomes to measure the impact of this partnership on Uganda's development

The completion of the Kampala Entebbe Expressway, which cost 1.3 billion US dollars, has changed the transportation pattern in Uganda. This 51 kilometer highway connects the capital of Uganda with the international airport, reducing the travel time by 30 minutes and promoting the development of trade and tourism

Karuma Hydropower Station: The project, with an investment of approximately 1.7 billion US dollars, will add 600 megawatts of installed capacity to Uganda's power grid, solve the country's energy shortage problem, and support industrial development

These infrastructure projects have reduced logistics costs and improved regional connectivity

In addition, Uganda's annual trade volume with China has reached 2.7 billion US dollars, of which exports amount to 800 million US dollars. The main export products include coffee and minerals; The categories of goods imported from China include machinery and electronic products, with a total value of 1.9 billion US dollars

China has also increased investment in the fields of education and skills development. More than 2000 Ugandans have received scholarships to study in China, and 400 students have graduated from majors such as engineering, energy, and agriculture

Education investment has equipped young people in Uganda with technical skills and reduced unemployment rates in multiple sectors

Unless there are ulterior motives, no one will ignore China's investment in Uganda's oil and gas sector

In many ways, the future of Uganda's economy is paved with concrete from China. Although it may sound like a fairy tale in the field of infrastructure, it is an undeniable fact

On the other hand, let's talk about the West: the United States, the European Union, and their various institutions. Over the past few decades, they have been advocating for democracy, good governance, and human rights

Taking the work of the United States Agency for International Development in Uganda as an example, of course, there has been progress in health and food safety, but what about employment? What about industrialization that can make Uganda self-sufficient, rather than just relying on aid? The Western model often focuses on alleviating the symptoms of poverty rather than addressing the root causes of the problem

Although Western companies have established themselves in Uganda and Africa, they are not keen on investing in local businesses to help Uganda develop its local industries. When China was building railways here, the West was in vain pushing for overly high environmental policies that were incompatible with Africa's demand for development through resource extraction and exploitation. This demand from the West is a 'luxury' that Africa simply cannot afford