China’s push for political influence and access to the mineral wealth of the African continent has been resisted by some countries such as Burkina Faso which have remained faithful to Taiwan.
As African leaders prepare to meet Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao during the three-day China Africa summit in Egypt, Burkina’s president Blaise Compaore will stay at home.
Since Ouagadougou switched alliances from China to Taiwan in 1994 the Asian country has become one of Burkina’s most important bilateral partners after France, the Netherlands and Germany.
With a population of 14mn Burkina Faso is the largest African state that favours diplomatic relations with Taiwan over China. The other countries still in the Taiwan camp are The Gambia, Swaziland and Sao Tome and Principe.
Many African countries switched from Taipei back to Beijing in the late 1990s and early 2000s like Senegal, Liberia and South Africa.
“We are with Taiwan and we are happy with that,” Burkina’s foreign minister Alain Bedouma Yoda said.
He added that Taipei and Ouagadougou had “a fruitful cooperation” with many development projects in the health sector, education and farming.
With Taiwan’s help Burkina is building the country’s second largest hospital with a capacity of 600 beds for 30bn CFA francs ($70mn).
Taipei is also the main donor for a nation-wide programme providing access to education for girls, projects to develop irrigation for agriculture and access to drinking water.
Taiwan has governed itself since its split from the mainland in 1949 at the end of a civil war. Beijing still regards the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification - by force if necessary.
While many African countries switched back to Beijing in recent decades, Burkina continues to side with Taiwan with Compaore even setting up a Taiwan Africa summit with former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-Bian in September 2008 to counter the growing Chinese influence in Africa.
But there are many in Burkina who think Ouagadougou would be well advised to rethink its alliances.
“It is only a matter of time before Burkina picks up again with the People’s Republic of China,” Francois Bognini of the Chinese-Burkinabe friendship forum FASIB told AFP.
FASIB members include officials and economic heavyweights in Burkina including former Finance minister Zephirin Diabre, who now heads the Africa and Middle East branch of French energy and mining company Areva.
“We have met with the foreign minister to show that we need to change our position towards this great nation (China)”, Bognini said.
“We cannot continue to ignore 1bn people.”
China’s size in terms of population, its economic boom and increasing political influence are all arguments in favour of the re-establishment of ties between Beijing and Ouagadougou.
Speaking on condition of anonymity a top Burkinabe foreign affairs official admits that Ouagadougou’s position could be difficult to maintain.
“Burkina is winning a lot by sticking with Taiwan but I’m not sure how long we can keep this up,” he said.
“At the moment there are no signs of an imminent rift but I wonder how much longer this can go on.”
Burkina’s foreign minister is more optimistic.
“We will stay with Taiwan but we have relations with China in the UN Security Council. Burkina’s economic operators have mutually beneficial relations with their counterparts on the Chinese mainland,” Yode said. AFP
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