They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes the pictures you don't see are worth even more. That was one of the messages that SPP Assistant Professor Dan Large shared during his presentation as part of the CEU Africa Research Group Seminar on December 9. Large contrasted the images surrounding the 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) in Delhi in October 2015, and the 6th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Johannesburg just two months later.
Although it was not the first time that the government of India had organized a high-profile event with Africa, the scale of the October 2015 summit was unprecedented. This was primarily because all African countries were invited and the dominating role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who used the occasion to "project India to Africa" and – even more importantly – to project himself to India. Large noted that despite the impressive venue, the enormous publicity, and the billboards that blanketed the city, many in Delhi appeared more concerned about the impact that the summit was having on traffic congestion in Delhi.
Large said that Modi's speech to the 41 African heads of state was a shining example of "political theater." It wasn't all theater though. There were a number of very specific outcomes: concessional credit of $10 billion; $600 million in grant assistance, and a $10 million India-Africa Health Fund, for example. There was also talk of "UN Security Council reform," which refers to efforts to secure both Indian and African representation on the Security Council. As Large noted, it was all very impressive. There is a good deal of skepticism though about whether Modi's rhetoric can be converted into tangible benefits in Africa as a result of the IAFS summit.
The FOCAC 6 summit in Johannesburg last week was, according to Large, "a very different story." Those arriving at O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg to attend the forum had to look hard to spot a poster or billboard promoting the event. The event itself took place in the elite financial district of Johannesburg, and yet was barely visible. The star of FOCAC 6 was not South African President Jacob Zuma but Chinese President Xi Jinping. Although he dominated the event, his style contrasts sharply with Modi. The photo opportunities were less colorful, and – like the event itself – "entirely scripted."
Commenting on the coverage of the FOCAC meeting in the Chinese press, Large said that it reflected the "steep learning curve in China about Africa" in recent years. "It is much more sophisticated, more nuanced," he said. Although he is less flamboyant than Modi, Xi Jinping grabbed more of the headlines with his pledge of $60 billion in various kinds of funding support for Africa. "China has done it to India again," said Large, noting that no matter how hard India tries to eclipse China, it simply does not have the financial resources that China can command.