In the aim of strengthening Zambia’s fight against cholera, the state has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with China to establish the country’s first cholera vaccine manufacturing facility. Costing $37 million, the initial phase of the plant will be developed through the partnership with China’s Jija International Medical Technology Corporation and the Zambia’s industrial Development Corporation (IDC), expecting to produce around three million doses annually. Emphasizing the importance of this project and eradicating cholera in the country, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema spoke about this new manufacturing facility and the relationship cultivated from it, “The partnership sends a message that Zambia, Africa, and the world can collaborate effectively.”
This new found relationship could possibly positively affect Zambia infrastructure and begin a new partnership between China and Zambia. Yet, the world isn’t as simple as simply giving a country aid for their own in betterment, there is always something for the other country. It has to be questioned, what is in it for China? Does this donation allow China to influence Zambia’s foreign policy? There has been recent controversy between China and fear from the United States that China is going to be attempting to modernly imperialized African countries in need of infrastructure assistance in exchange for political influence. Within many African countries, there are many valuable natural resources, some so valuable and rare that many are only exclusively found there. If China had a monopoly of access to these rare minerals, there could possibly be an exclusive deal made between China and that said country. This is not an ideal situation for the United States, as this whole scenario entirely connects with the silent conflict between China, the U.S., and Taiwan.
This intervention of China and its new relationship with Zambia could be for the better, but is also an example of power, specifically economic power. Power is the ability to compel another actor to act against its own will or to ensure one’s security and national interest. This economic power, could be a form of soft or potential hard economic power. The initial investment into Zambian cholera vaccines could have been initially a persuasive agreement, in which Zambia initiated the agreement. Yet, throughout the next couple of years it would be interesting to see how the soft economic power that China currently has over Zambia could become a hard economic power. This could be through the example of coercing Zambia to sign economic treaties that create a monopoly on Zambian natural resources, threatening the taking away of infrastructure as collateral in the agreement. This could become a repativating situation in many African countries if China continues to propose and make different deals for economic assistance.