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Cameroon - China Relations

Rising tensions between Cameroonian workers and Chinese companies in October 2016 led to strikes on two Chinese-led road projects in support of better pay and working conditions. Violent confrontations occurred, and the government is trying to mediate the crisis. The strikers work for the China First Highway Engineering Company in Matomb, 80 kilometers south of the capital, Yaounde. Union leader and strike organizer Wanyu Leonard said "We are not well-paid. Our categories are not respected, and our allowances, like our housing allowance, lodging, feeding and also transport, none of that is respected.... You cannot imagine that on a project like this one. It is not normal. It has to change.”

In March 2016, miners in the eastern town of Betare Oya forced out Chinese gold mining operations they said had taken their livelihoods and were not living up to promises to develop the locality, something the Chinese companies disputed. Angry locals slashed tires, vandalized equipment and beat up some Chinese miners.

In October 2016 Cameroon deployed its navy to seize illegal fishing vessels in the Atlantic Ocean, many of them Chinese, according to authorities. Tensions had been rising with locals who said foreign trawlers are overfishing for export, raising prices at local markets.

China has a long bilateral friendship with Cameroon, reflected in the 2007 visit to Cameroon by President Hu Jintao. The Chinese government has provided grants or concessional loans to fund a number infrastructure projects (hospitals, schools, roads, and stadiums). China provides military training, equipment, and technical assistance. Chinese engagement increased in 2010, with new infrastructure projects and broader commercial ties, including a 34% jump in bilateral trade from 2008 to 2009. Cameroonians appeared increasingly suspicious of China's engagement.

Despite China's growing importance in Cameroon, major donors saw no real opportunities for cooperation. China sees Cameroon as a longtime friend, with relations established in 1971. Cameroon has consistently supported the One China policy. China sees Cameroon as a linchpin in the Central African region, with a port and economy of regional importance. Chinese President Hu Jintao's January 30 - February 1, 2007 visit to Cameroon (and Cameroon President Biya's four visits to China) reflect this historical friendship and regional importance.

President Hu Jintao signed eight bilateral accords during his 2007 visit worth over $129 million, nearly a quarter of which ($30.7 million) was debt forgiveness. The accords awarded concessional loans to build and equip a gynecological, obstetric and pediatric hospital in Douala, construct two rural primary schools, and increase technical and economic cooperation. The money also funded projects of the GRC's choosing, which included wireless (CDMA) phone technology for CAMTEL (developed by Huawei Technologies), a potable water project for Douala, and several small agricultural projects.

China has funded other construction and infrastructure projects. The Lagdo hydroelectric dam was built by a Chinese construction company in the 1980s. China built the Guider Hospital in North Province, the Mbalmayo Hospital, the Yaounde Gyno-Obstetric Hospital, and the Yaounde Conference Center. China has also built a number of roads in Douala. Some small towns in Cameroon, such as Guider with a population of about 70,000 in North Region, benefit from resident Chinese doctors funded by the Chinese government. The Chinese are active in the fishing sector, including in Limbe.

In other areas, China provides some scholarships for studying in China and has built a Confucius Institute at the Institute of International Relations (IRIC) for the study of Chinese language and culture. China has an ongoing military-military relationship with Cameroon, which includes training for Cameroonian military students each year in China, technical advisors to assist in repairing Cameroonian military vehicles and naval vessels, and Chinese military sales.

Chinese engagement intensified in 2010. The Embassy hosted high profile cultural events in Yaounde and Douala to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the Chinese Revolution, followed by an even higher profile opening of a major indoor sports stadium in Yaounde, funded by a Chinese government grant and built by a Chinese construction firm. China donated 510 books to the University of Maroua in the Far North Region as the basis of a local Confucius Institute. The Chinese Communist Party donated computers to the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM). Cameroon's President of the National Assembly, Caveye Yegui Djibril, made a widely publicized visit to China in December 2009.

In August, 2009 the government awarded Chinese firm SinoHydro Corporation Ltd. a $302 million contract on a Build Own Operate basis to construct the Memve'ele hydroelectric dam in South Region. The project had previously been under negotiation with British firm Globelecq. In January 2010, China signed a $49 million preferential loan with Cameroon for the construction of the Mekin hydroelectric power plant in the South Region. In November 2009, Exim Bank China contributed financing worth more than $180 million for various projects, including the second phase of a Douala water project, the construction of two stadiums in Bafoussam and Limbe, and the construction of the Douala Gyno-Obstetric Hospital.

Also in 2010, Chinese companies got agreements to explore for iron ore near Kribi and oil in the Far North region. With the collapse of the timber market in Europe as a result of the global financial crisis, sources tell us that more Cameroonian timber has been exported to China. Chinese nationals have also been given large tracts of land for agricultural production, including rice, mushrooms and corn. Other Chinese road projects are also in the works.

China and Cameroon signed a trade agreement in 2002 giving each other "most favored nation" trading status. According to Chinese government trade statistics for the first three quarters of 2009, Chinese trade with Cameroon totaled $1.5 million in 2009 (up 34%), with 916 million in Chinese exports to Cameroon (up 17%) and $5.9 million in imports from Cameroon to China (up 71%). According to 2008 WTO data, China is Cameroon's third largest source of imports (9.1%); according to the Chinese Embassy here, China is Cameroon's sixth largest export market. Cameroon's main Chinese imports are building materials, chemicals, machinery, textiles, and electronics. Cameroon's main exports to China are oil, timber, rubber, cotton and agricultural products.

China's commercial presence in Cameroon ranged from restaurants, small shops and vending operations, to at least 15 Chinese public works companies with business totaling over $16 million. According to Xinhua News Agency, the number of Chinese in Cameroon doubled from 2006 to 2008 to around 2,000. This had increased significantly since 2008, with Chinese citizens much more evident in the country.

In March 2013, President Paul Biya sent a telegram of congratulations to Xi Jinping on his election as the Chinese president. In April 2013, President Biya sent a letter of condolences to President Xi Jinping over the earthquake in Lushan, Sichuan Province. In the same month, Prime Minister Philemon Yang sent a letter of congratulations to Li Keqiang on his election as the Chinese premier. In May, President of the National Assembly Cavaye Yeguie Djibril sent a letter of congratulations to Zhang Dejiang on his election as chairman of the NPC. In June 2013, NPC Chairman Zhang Dejiang sent a telegram of congratulations to Marcel Niat Njifenji on his election as speaker of the senate. In November 2013, Chairman Zhang Dejiang sent a telegram of congratulations to Cavaye Yeguie Djibril on his reelection in the legislative elections of the year.

Bilateral economic and trade cooperation yielded good results. Among the Chinese assistance projects in Cameroon, the Women and Children's Hospital in Douala, Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center and the welling project were successfully completed; the overall renovation of the parliament building and solar street lamps were launched, and projects such as the deep water port in Kribi, Yaounde-Douala highway, stadium in Limbe, hydropower station in Mekin and 1,500 housing units progressed steadily.

The two countries had close exchanges in health, culture, education and military fields. In January 2013, Minister of Health Chen Zhu paid a working visit to Cameroon. In April 2013, the African Tour Troupe from Zhejiang Normal University gave a performance entitled The Chinese Dream and African Feeling at the parliament building in Yaounde. In May 2013, the final round of the 12th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese language contest in the Yaounde region was held in the University of Yaounde II. In 2013, a military section was added to the Chinese Embassy in Cameroon, which further promoted the in-depth development of military cooperation between the two countries.

Cameroonians seemed increasingly suspicious of China's presence and intentions in Cameroon. There is concern about the growing activity of small-scale businesses and the larger numbers of Chinese in Yaounde and Douala. There is also frustration with competition from cheap Chinese goods, problems with counterfeit Chinese imports, and the small number of Cameroonians employed in Chinese projects. China's image was damaged when Chinese were discovered smuggling ivory from Cameroon to China in 2006 and 2007.

Many Cameroonians also resent illegal Chinese fishing in Cameroonian waters. In October 2008, the Cameroonian Navy also made a very high profile and well-publicized seizure of a Chinese fishing trawler that was illegally operating near Kribi. Traditional Cameroonian fishermen are especially antagonistic towards large-scale Chinese fishing operations. The Cameroonians believe that the Chinese are over-harvesting the coastal areas and making it difficult for traditional fishermen to survive.

The GRC seeks to benefit from a full range of partners and sees its relationship with China as a way to balance its friendly relations with France and the United States. It appreciates China's infrastructure support. No doubt some in government also appreciate the Chinese willingness to look the other way on corruption, democracy and human rights. However, there is also a certain degree of caution among government contacts. In a recent meeting with Ambassador, President Paul Biya expressed frustration with China's global role.

Both the US and the Chinese government support often complementary efforts in the health, energy and agriculture sectors, and in principle we and other donors believe it would be positive to have a more collaborative relationship. However, approaches to development and attitudes toward corruption and acceptable business practices are on opposite ends of the spectrum. These divergences are compounded by differences in language and working styles, as well as lingering mutual suspicions. Other donor embassies also see little room for cooperation with the Chinese. The Multi-Donor Committee, established to coordinate aid pursuant to the Paris Declaration, rarely saw Chinese participation. French development officials, who carry great weight in the development community in Cameroon, said they too saw no prospect for cooperation with China.