Guinea-Bissau might not be economically important to China, but that does not mean the small West African nation is not on Beijing’s radar.
During a state visit to China this week, Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo met Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the two leaders agreeing to strengthen cooperation on international and multilateral affairs as they officially formed a strategic partnership.
In a joint statement released on Wednesday detailing their talks, the two leaders noted: “All countries, big or small, are equal.”
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Beijing has traditionally forged strong diplomatic ties with small nations such as Guinea-Bissau, as it develops these political allies – and secures their votes in international forums – to support China’s global ambitions.
Meanwhile, for Guinea-Bissau, China is extremely important, providing finance to build key projects ranging from presidential palaces to roads and stadiums.
Embalo called China his country’s “top priority direction and most important partner in diplomacy” during his visit, as he obtained multimillion-dollar deals from his Chinese counterpart.
Xi granted market access to agricultural products from Guinea-Bissau, such as cashew nuts, and agreed to explore local processing of the nuts. Increased imports of food products from Africa is part of Beijing’s plan to support the continent’s agricultural modernisation – a promise made during last August’s Brics summit in Johannesburg.
With a population of just over 2 million, Guinea-Bissau is one of the least developed African countries that China announced in 2022 would benefit from the waiver of tariffs on 98 per cent of taxable items originating from the country.
“China is willing to continue to provide technical support for Guinea-Bissau to enhance its agricultural production capacity,” the statement said.
Beijing will also fund some of the country’s infrastructure projects as the two heads of state agreed to upgrade the relationship between China and Guinea-Bissau to a strategic partnership – which means the country’s strategic value to China lies in economic and geopolitical perspectives.
China will expand cooperation in mining, infrastructure construction, ocean resources and other fields under its massive overseas investment plan, the Belt and Road Initiative.
Xi also said Chinese companies would be encouraged to invest and cooperate in Guinea-Bissau to help the African nation “better achieve national development”.
This will help it “transform its resource potential into development momentum”, according to a readout released after the talks held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
“China is willing to continue to provide support to Guinea-Bissau’s domestic construction to the best of its ability,” Xi said in the statement.
Beijing will continue to send rice technology experts and medical teams to help Guinea-Bissau ensure food security and develop public health. China has been providing doctors for the country’s hospital in Canchungo in the north of the country and the military hospital in the capital Bissau.
It will also provide government scholarships and training vacancies to help Bissau cultivate talent of all kinds needed for national development. Beijing traditionally provides thousands of scholarships annually to students to study in Chinese universities and welcomes government workers to attend short-term courses in China.
Guinea-Bissau is a key Chinese ally. Beijing’s presence can be seen across the country in the form of projects it has financed and built, such as the country’s government palace, the parliament, the justice building, the national stadium in Bissau and a new fishing port in Bandim.
On Monday, ahead of the state visit to China, Embalo announced China had already pledged to finance a “major conference centre” for Guinea-Bissau’s presidency of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP). China will also reconstruct 300km (186 miles) of roads and build a new university campus for 12,000 students, Embalo said.
“Before we get there, China has already announced a donation of US$27.5 million to Guinea-Bissau, which will be earmarked for projects, independently of other projects we already have in the pipeline,” Embalo was quoted as saying by Lusa News Agency, Portugal’s largest media outlet.
Embalo, who will be in China until Saturday, is ruling the country by special decree after dissolving the opposition-dominated parliament in December 2023 following armed clashes that he described as an “attempted coup d’etat”. A date for the upcoming parliamentary elections has not yet been set.
China is currently building the country’s only highway linking Osvaldo Vieira International Airport to the town of Safim, a distance of 8.2km (5 miles), with a cost of US$14.7 million.
A new fishing port in Bandim on the outskirts of Bissau was recently completed by China Railway Guangzhou Engineering Group Corporation (CRGEG) for US$26 million.
David Shinn, a China-Africa specialist and professor at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, said from the standpoint of economic relations, Guinea-Bissau is not important to China but its vote in the UN General Assembly and certain specialised international agencies is equal to that of South Africa or Nigeria.
“As a result, China pays attention to small economies such as Guinea-Bissau,” Shinn said.
Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, right, during the meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during his state visit to China. Photo: AFP alt=Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, right, during the meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during his state visit to China. Photo: AFP>
He said for its part, Guinea-Bissau sought export markets, foreign direct investment, loans and foreign aid from wherever it was available.
“Although China is a modest source, Guinea-Bissau may perceive that potentially it will become more important,” Shinn said.
Sub-Saharan geoeconomic analyst Aly-Khan Satchu said he could not imagine Guinea-Bissau’s president getting a state visit to the White House.
“It’s never going to happen. And therein lies an essential difference in China and US foreign relations,” Satchu said.
He said Xi’s flex in Africa was explained by this visit.
“I think China is seeking to position itself on the African Atlantic coast. Note Equatorial Guinea’s state visit,” Satchu said in reference to a state visit to China in May by Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
For Guinea-Bissau, “China can be a game-changer”, he said.
“It’s a small economy and China can put in as little as US$1 billion to work and inflect the country’s fortunes,” Satchu said.
After talks, Xi and Embalo witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents on the implementation of global development initiatives, economic development, customs inspection and quarantine, geology and mining.
This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
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