African Students Challenge Chinese Scholars, Angering Netizens Worldwide

Recently, a 4-minute video from YouTube has gone viral in China. The video, taken at a Doha Forum panel in early December, shows Professor Gao Zhikai, a chair professor at Suzhou University and vice president of the Center for China and Globalization, being confronted by two African university students with provocative questions.

One student questioned whether China’s investment in Africa aimed to interfere in its internal affairs, while another accused Professor Gao of being “hypocritical” right from the start.

The first student, Afomia Seyoum, from Carnegie Mellon University Qatar, asked:

“So you’ve mentioned that China has a no interference policy with other states and that states should have their own ability to dictate their way of life or their, just their existence. But wouldn’t you say you’re, the, China’s presence all over Africa is in a way an exercise of some sort of power, a soft power of sorts? And does that now contradict with the foreign policy of China?”

Afomia Seyoum，Communications and Marketing Strategist · Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar

In response, Professor Gao pointed out that before China’s extensive engagement with Africa, it was often referred to by Western countries as a “forgotten continent.”

“Africa after decolonization was more or less the forgotten continent. Western countries did not want to engage it for whatever reason. China went in. China treated every African country as brother and sister. And China really invested hugely in Africa. Now many other countries are talking about engaging with Africa, including the United States, many European countries, India, for example. The more the better, because Africa should not be a monopoly for any other country, not for China, not for anyone else. Africa is for the African people.”

He further emphasized:

“You go to African countries and ask them whether they like building a road, whether they like a gymnasium, etc. That is the only truth. Don’t be lectured by other countries about what values African countries should have. We need to help African countries build up their infrastructure, to build their manufacturing capabilities. And that is the only goal for China.”

Gao also explained that China does not have colonial intentions toward African nations, highlighting that geographically, China is far removed from Africa. He clarified that China’s initiatives in Africa mirror its projects in ASEAN and Latin America:

“If we build our pillars of transformation, we want to share that with you. If we believe building a road is the only way out, we help you to build the road.”

The second student, Carl Jumbo, a freshman from Georgetown University, took an even sharper tone, questioning Professor Gao:
“Are you not being hypocritical, Mister Gao?”

Carl Jumbo，a freshman from Georgetown University

Introducing himself as Zimbabwean, Carl pointed out his country’s vast lithium reserves:

“But we’re at the brink of losing ownership of all of these lithium reserves just because China builds a parliament for my country. So if you’re saying that you’re promoting the sovereignty of nations, of countries, but you’re taking our own parliament away… Are you not being hypocritical?”

Gao responded by recalling Zimbabwe’s electoral history:

“You had your election several years ago, and the presidential candidate was very much against China. He is elected as the president, and once he’s in office, he changed his mind because he knows for sure that for Zimbabwe’s development, China is the main contributor to Zimbabwe’s economic development. If you do not agree with me, go back to your country, talk to your government, and check out over the past 30 years which country has invested most heavily in your great country.”

He also noted:

“China has dealt with Zimbabwe’s governments for several decades… And I would say China-Zimbabwe economic cooperation has helped the economic transformation in Zimbabwe by building up infrastructure facilities and manufacturing capabilities in your country. That is the truth. If I may tell you, I think that is the only truth. Development is the hard truth.”

Chinese Netizens: Unbelievable

When the video was shared in China, netizens expressed not just anger but incredulity:

@观察:

“I watched it, and I was furious. China has never trafficked Black slaves, killed Black people, or enslaved Africa. Yet these African students see China as their biggest enemy, while those Westerners who enslaved Africa are seen as saviors, truth-bearers, and benefactors. Ridiculous!”

@木小剑杀鸡你太美:

“It’s precisely because African universities cultivate students like these that they remain underdeveloped. Their universities’ only goal is to train Western agents to serve as colonial managers.”

Some Chinese netizens urged rationality, arguing that two students don’t represent all of Africa and speculating that Western media might have deliberately engineered the scenario.

@硬盘硬 软件软:

“Don’t think these two represent young Africans. Look at the YouTube comments on the video; most people are refuting them.”

@爱吃蜂蜜的熊:

“Besides carefully selected performers, it’s not surprising to find people in Africa with remnants of colonial thinking due to their long history of colonization. In the future, such forces will continue to appear and criticize China.”

When Africa’s infrastructure and industrial systems are gradually established, when the living standards of African people steadily improve, and when China-Africa and South-South cooperation comprehensively unfold to form a complete and smooth supply chain—after the West, dragged down by the Russia-Ukraine war, collapses its remaining manufacturing base—what will the West and those with a colonial mindset in Africa have left to offer besides empty preaching?

The pursuit of a better life is unstoppable.

Foreign Netizens Are Even More Furious

Unexpectedly, this video was posted on YouTube a week ago, and the comments section was even more furious than on the Chinese internet.

@cheungchingtong

I don’t normally criticize kids, or youth, but I will say students like this young girl is the reason countries like Syria ends up like today.

@cloudwithwind574

This Zimbabwean boy believes that China’s help should be free, otherwise it is hypocritical!

@Qiushishuo

If I don’t see the faces of these two students, the questions seems coming from their former western colonizers’ mouth.

@hock-soonlee8169

The South Africa President said, “We are not beggars. We want to be treated as equals.” So, as equals, should they not pay the dues by letting China have its ROI (return on investment) for taking the risk to invest in Africa? If the investment was a failure, then China would have lost all its money. Remember, it is an investment and not a donation. If they expect donations, then they are a beggar.

@billyesomann

The Moderator used to work for the BBC, like another program Doha Debate by Tim Sebastian, In the BBC format, the students asked the questions that were specifically selected to read the Scripts

【Editor’s note:

The moderator, Femi Oke, is a British television presenter and journalist. Born in London, England, she is of Nigerian descent and belongs to the Yoruba ethnic group. She graduated from Birmingham University with a bachelor’s degree in English literature and language.】

Some Foreign Netizens Used Facts to Refute the Two Students’ Views

@henglee3127

Starting from December 1, 2024, China has implemented zero tariff treatment for 100% of tariff items for all the least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, including 33 African countries.

@solar6120

Meanwhile in Zimbabwe:

Zimbabwe to compensate colonial white farmers who lost land in seizures 20 years ago.

【Editor’s note:

According to a Reuters report on October 4, 2024:

“The Zimbabwean government will this month pay an initial $20 million to foreign white and local Black farmers who lost land in farm invasions under former leader Robert Mugabe at the turn of the century,” the finance minister said on Friday.

Reuters report on October 4, 2024:

There is controversy both domestically and internationally over whether white farmers should be compensated. Critics argue that this could be seen as a concession to colonial oppression, while supporters believe it helps address historical issues and paves the way for national economic recovery.】

Criticism of the Two African Students Also Came from Within Africa

@A-Ra1111

I’m a Kenyan. There is no indication that Kenya is losing the airport. What is this guy talking about? In fact, it was an Indian company that wanted to lease our airport for 30 years.

【Editor’s note:

In November 2024, Kenyan President William Ruto announced the cancellation of multimillion-dollar airport expansion and energy deals with the Adani Group. This decision followed U.S. indictments against Gautam Adani, the founder of the conglomerate, on charges of bribery and fraud. Source

The proposed airport deal involved the Adani Group managing Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for 30 years, including adding a second runway and upgrading facilities, in a project worth nearly $2 billion. This proposal faced significant opposition within Kenya, leading to protests and legal challenges. Source】

@efremsa

My countrywoman Afomiya Seyoum, I as an Ethiopian let me ask you the surprising fact that, is there any western country that developed or invested in Ethiopia better than China?

Nope!

I think I found your questions either naive or potentially sponsored by Western interest groups. Because it is an open secret that superpower nations like China or any other will never act without calculating their national interests. Any superpowers interfere as much as they get the resistance if the host governments but with all the tradeoffs, the Chinese favored African nations more than the hypocritical West.

After all, it is not the Chinese colonialism that made Africans war-torn, corrupt, and poor. It’s Western colonialism; it is their systematic structural neoliberalism that made us poor and ethnically divided. With all reservations, I admire the professor’s knowledge and candid explanation of the reality.

Summary

At the China-Africa Cooperation Forum held in September this year, China announced that in the next three years, it will provide 360 billion RMB in financial support to Africa. This will mainly be used for infrastructure construction and industrialization projects in Africa, such as building roads and bridges, constructing power plants, as well as support in fields like education, healthcare, and agriculture. A third type of investment is to encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in and build factories in Africa.

There are also dissenting voices in China regarding this sum of money and China’s past investments in Africa.

Some question whether China’s aid to Africa yields less than it gives. Why not use the same funds and efforts in underdeveloped regions domestically? Others raise more practical concerns, such as political instability in African countries, the heavy influence of Western colonialism, and high investment risks.

Such voices focus on the costs and extent of China’s investment in Africa and rarely deny the significance of China’s investment in Africa. Even if you talk to older generations of Chinese people, they still remember vividly the efforts African countries made half a century ago to support China in gaining its legitimate seat at the United Nations. That generation of Chinese people still habitually refers to African people as “African brothers.”

On November 15, 1971, headed by then Vice Foreign Minister Qiao Guanhua, the delegation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) made its debut at the United Nations (UN) Assembly Hall.

Just as kind people find it hard to assume malice in others’ intentions, it may also be hard for Westerners born of colonial powers and Africans who have suffered from colonial oppression to imagine another country acting out of morality, gratitude, or even the simple intent of doing business, by coming to another continent across the globe.

Objectively speaking, it is better for African people to question than to unthinkingly accept everything, as this comment points out:

@supergroovy8346

The students are still young and learning. I don’t know what China is doing in Zimbabwe, but I can still bet it’s a lot better than what the West was doing. And it’s good that the students are cautious. Always be cautious, but don’t go back to the abuser even if you have to go alone.