THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 03 June 2020 (India, China and fortifying the Africa outreach(The Hindu))

India, China and fortifying the Africa outreach(The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:International Relations
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Highlights the major differences in diplomacies between India and China

Context:

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a great leveller across the world.
But its effects stand to be harmful particularly in Africa, where economic and public health conditions are extremely vulnerable.
Although African countries moved quickly to curb the initial spread, they are still woefully(badly) ill-equipped to cope with a public health emergency.
Such conditions have meant that Africa’s cycle of external aid dependence continues.
Africa needs medical protective equipment and gear to support its frontline public health workers.
As Asia’s two largest economies and long-standing partners of Africa, India and China have increased their outreach to Africa through medical assistance.
Their efforts are directed to fill a part of the growing African need at a time when not many others have stepped in to help.

Beijing’s donation diplomacy:

China, being Africa’s ....................................................................................

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Aims of the donation diplomacy:

Beijing’s ‘donation diplomacy’ in Africa aims to achieve three immediate objectives:
To shift the focus away from talking about the origins of the virus in Wuhan,
To build goodwill overseas, and
To establish an image makeover.
For the most part, it succeeded in achieving these ends until China faced widespread backlash over the ill-treatment of African nationals in Guangzhou city.
The issue quickly grew into a full-blown political crisis for Beijing.
But for the most part, China has been successful in controlling the Guangzhou narrative due to the depth of its political influence in Africa.
It is no secret that China relies heavily on diplomatic support and cooperation from African countries on key issues in multilateral forums.
For example, Beijing used African support for securing a win for Chinese candidates as the head of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and in the World Health Organization (WHO).
On Africa’s part, the problem lies in the deep disjuncture(disconnection) and credibility gap between Africa’s governing class, the people, the media and civil society.
Overall, China’s donation diplomacy towards Africa during COVID-19 has received mixed reactions, but Beijing’s advantage lies in its economic heft and political influence in Africa.

Focus areas for India:

For India, the pandemic presents an opportunity to demonstrate its willingness and capacity to shoulder more responsibility.
The fact that even with limited ..........................................................................

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Pharmacy of the World:

India’s role as ‘the pharmacy of the world’, as the supplier of low-cost, generic medicines is widely acknowledged.
Pharmaceutical products along with refined petroleum products account for 40% of India’s total exports to African markets.
India is sending consignments of essential medicines, including hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and paracetamol, to 25 African countries.
In addition it is sending doctors and paramedics.
The initial beneficiaries were the African Indian Ocean island nations of Mauritius, the Seychelles, Comoros, and Madagascar under India’s ‘Mission Sagar’.
While transportation and logistics remain a concern, most of the consignments have already reached various African states.
India launched Mission Sagar on Sunday as part of the government’s outreach initiative towards five Island nations in the Indian Ocean amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

e-ITEC COVID-19:

A timely initiative has been the e-ITEC COVID-19 management strategies.
It is aimed at training health-care professionals from Africa and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations and sharing of best practices by Indian health experts.
Nigeria, Kenya, Mauritius, and Namibia have been beneficiaries.
Across Africa, there is a keen interest to understand the developments and best practices in India because the two share similar socioeconomic and developmental challenges.
There is also growing interest in research and development in drugs and vaccines.
A few African countries such as Mauritius are pushing for health-care partnerships in traditional medicines and Ayurveda for boosting immunity.
The Indian community, especially in East African countries, has also been playing a crucial role in helping spread awareness.
Prominent Indian businessmen and companies in Nigeria and Kenya have donated money to the respective national emergency response funds.
Country-specific chapters of gurdwaras and temples have fed thousands of families by setting up community kitchens, helplines for seniors and distributing disinfectants and sanitisers.

The Contrasts:

Both India and China, through their respective health and donation diplomacy, are vying(struggling) to find a space and position for themselves as reliable partners of Africa in its time of need.
Burnishing(shining) their credentials as humanitarian champions is the name of the game. But there are significant differences in the approaches.

For China, three aspects are critical:

money, political influence and .....................................................................

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Conclusion:

As these two powers rise in Africa, their two distinct models will come under even greater scrutiny.
And both New Delhi and Beijing might find that they need to adapt to the rising aspirations of the African continent.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the G7 artificial intelligence group, consider the following statements:
1. The US has recently joined G7 artificial intelligence group, an international panel for setting ethical guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence.
2. The Group of Seven (G7) is an international intergovernmental economic organization consisting of the seven large IMF- advanced economies in the world.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2