China's most important lesson to us

For a country to succeed, unity is the key, says former Tanzanian ambassador

China has taught Africa a great lesson that peace and stability are vital in securing long-term growth, which also requires a unified national identity, Tanzanian veteran diplomat Charles A. Sanga says.

Sanga, now chairman of the Tanzania Tourist Board, says unity transcends independence, and the younger generation needs to be imbued with that spirit to look beyond their differences.

"You cannot do anything meaningful if there's no peace, no stability and no unity. And to reach that we have to think alike. If you think totally differently, the result is chaos. In Tanzania, if you are about to set off any turmoil, people will challenge you. I hope our people can reinforce the belief that development is an outcome of peace and stability."

Sanga is well-known as the former Tanzanian ambassador to Beijing between 2000 and 2006, but less well known is that his first contact with China goes back to the 1980s.

In 1985 he served as a secretary in the Tanzanian embassy in Beijing, the country's biggest overseas mission, and he left in 1988 to take up another post at the United Nations in New York.

But he was very reluctant to leave China because it was a great place to learn, he says.

"Among many other things, I think the best thing I learned about there was the spirit of the people. Actually I am not talking about what you have now. For me, the spirit of the people and nationalism as well as patriotism was a very fantastic thing. This is more important than what you have now."

He does not regard nationalism as necessarily being a dangerous thing, he says, adding that it depends on how you define the word. For him, nation-building bonded by nationalism and patriotism is a key to stability and growth in a country like Tanzania.

Sanga says he has been inspired by China's experience in building a national identity.

"Yes, there are some differences from Beijing to Tianjin due to dialects, and there are 56 ethnicities in the country, but you still consider yourself Chinese.

"It is only with a nation that you can do something; without a nation you can do nothing. So what does building a nation mean? It means many groups of different orientations (coming) together to form one unique orientation."

Tanzania has more than 120 tribes, so it was difficult to establish a national identity. Swahili was chosen as the glue to bond the country's disparate cultures, but neighboring countries are not so fortunate in having such a pliable linguistic tool at hand for such a job, he says.

Most of Tanzania's leaders are greatly influenced by the spirit of the country's founding fathers, Sanga says, but he worries that a culture of egotism will make it difficult to govern the country.

"Changes sometimes make people forget where we have come from and where we want to go. For generations to come, we want our children and their children to live in peace. That is the sole inheritance we have to offer."

He recalls that when Tanzania's first leader, Julius Kambarage Nyerere, made his last trip to China in 1995 (he died in 1999), a journalist asked Nyerere why he always went to China, and he replied, "To get inspired."

Sang says: "The idea is to get inspiration from what you are doing because you are always thinking of people's growth, not an individual's growth. That's people-centered development, development with a human face.

"That is very important. When I moved from Beijing to New York in 1988 the contrast was huge. In Beijing people were thinking of 'we', but in New York they were thinking of 'I'. 'We and our' versus 'me and mine'."

Sanga says it was this spirit that helped China realize the importance of being a collective to gain peace and stability.

"There's no shortcut to success except work not just work, but working together. You cannot do it by yourself, never."

Serving two terms in China gave him a chance to observe the characteristics of Chinese and, more importantly, learn what he could take back to his country.

Confronted with new investment environment, Sanga says, Chinese should be clear about what they can do in Africa.

"There's competition in the world. I have told Chinese that they are not coming to Africa as pioneers. They will meet competitors because we have our traditional partners in trade and business. There's no vacuum. You go there and you enter into a market and you come up against competition."

But the good thing about the Chinese philosophy of doing business with Africa today is that it's realistic, based not only on commercial principles, but on principles of equality.

"In some Westerners' eyes the Chinese are in Tanzania because they are hungry for raw materials. I have told them that it comes down to simple economics: China needs something, and we have it. It's a matter of common sense."

When he was ambassador to China, one of the then top Chinese leaders told him that business could start by working with state-owned companies, which would have the funds and could carry out good projects, he says.

However, this did not prevent him from dealing with reputable private businesses, he says, especially ones that could be guaranteed through government channels.

Ten years ago an official in Jiangsu province introduced him to Ding Xian, who later became a partner of his initiative to establish the Tanzania-China Promotion Center in Dar es Salaam, aiming to bridge business understanding between the two countries.

Giving tips to anyone wanting to invest in Tanzania, he says: "I have always said in all my dealing with Chinese, 'Please don't look for shortcuts; you will never sustain it'.

"If you want to invest, do a proper feasibility study of your project. It's feasible to make profit in long-term investment."

He understands the concern of many potential investors about the lack of basic infrastructure, he says, and a work ethic that differs from that of many Chinese.

"But sometimes I say Chinese have this unrealistic desire for sudden change. When you come from that kind of a society, work discipline is your motto. They come here and want this instant change in people. I tell them to take things slowly and take a teaching approach. You can't change people overnight."

He realizes inefficiency can cost money, he says, and that is why Chinese should concentrate more on transferring skills to sustain long-term, sustainable growth according to the local conditions.

"Both sides have a challenge, and these challenges can be overcome, believe me. Mutual benefit should always be at the back of your mind. It should be real, not just a slogan. Mutual benefit includes changing the mindset of these people."

Historical connections between two sides are a solid foundation for collaboration, Sanga says, and the relationship between China and Tanzania can be reinforced in many practical ways.

"China has brought us things that we can use and sustain, things that have been affordable and appropriate. So if it was science and technology, it was science and technology that was appropriate to us. And that is the spirit of South-South cooperation.

"The idea is, 'What you were able to use, I can use, too.' Don't bring us something that we cannot sustain, that we cannot use and we cannot maintain.

"As Mao Zedong said, 'Don't give me a fish, teach me how to fish'."

lilianxing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 11/14/2014 page38)