China’s Relations with African Countries: Strategic Perspective (Case of Madagascar) Essay

Year 1st Semester Course: MEDIA IN CHINA [pic] TOPIC: CHINA’S RELATIONS WITH AFRICAN COUNTRIES: STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE (CASE OF MADAGASCAR) STU. NAME: RANDRIANASOLO Fenolanto Salome STU. NO. CLASS SCHOOL LECTUERER: PROFESSOR LUO QING GRADE: Master CHINA’S RELATIONS WITH AFRICAN COUNTRIES: STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE (CASE OF MADAGASCAR) INTRODUCTION In recent decades, while China can ignore other countries, other countries cannot ignore China. It is beginning to play an increasingly important role in many areas such as economics, political, and socio-cultural. This is a great new rising power at the beginning of the 21st century. This explosive growth of China has generated significant debates among policymakers, scholars and business leaders on a number of levels. China is now building relationships in several countries especially in Africa. There have been a number of contacts between China and African states in recent decades. This paper seeks to understand this recent shift in China’s relation with African countries such as Madagascar. Historical Background In 1955: 29 African and Asian states create the â€Å"Third world† to strengthen its base in Africa and Asia; Since 1960s: . The Chinese leader Mao supported the African independences. China supports the ambassadors of the emerging countries against Western interference in their internal affairs at the United Nations. In 1978: Deng Xiaoping decided to open the Chinese economy by establishing a new form of socialism; Since the 1990: African economies have opened up for the Asian powers including China; China becomes the spokesperson for developing countries within the WTO (world trade organization) Partnership China-Madagascar: China has become increasingly active on the African continent in recent years and this activity has drawn the attention of scholars and journalists, among others. Diplomatic Relations: Madagascar and China established diplomatic relations November 6, 1972 and bilateral relations between the two countries continue to consolidate, develop and to strengthen since. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1972, their relationship and cooperation in the economic, commercial and various grow without ceasing. In recent years, the leaders of both countries attach great importance the development of relations and exchanges of high-level increase, which gives great impetus to the rapid development of bilateral relations of friendship and Malagasy cooperation. The Minister of Foreign Affairs established the first diplomatic relations between China and Madagascar during the transition (1972-1975); The celebration of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relationship between China and Madagascar held on 6th November 2012. Several high Malagasy personalities visited China since the 1990s such as the President of the Republic Albert ZAFY in 1994; Madagascar President Marc RAVALOMANANA arrived in Beijing in 2008. During the current transitional period, Ambassador of China Shen Yongxiang has presented his credentials to the Head of State Andrinirina RAJOELINA. Several high Chinese leaders such as the President of the National People’s Congress Chen Muhua; the Second Prime Minister Jiang Chungun and the Vice President of the Republic Hu Jintao was visited Madagascar. Economic Relations: If China’s economic weight is felt in African countries, in particular Madagascar by its commercial dynamism, the country begins to be an investor not negligible. Since 2005, the partnership agreements between Madagascar and China have continued to increase. For example, the establishment of a cement factory, the construction of a large 5 star hotel by a Chinese group, the future construction of a hospital. And even well before the year 2005, investment in China has already had its place in the economy, be it in the industry â€Å"trade†. China is the largest partner of Madagascar in terms of imports; 95% of products from Madagascar benefit from the Chinese treatment tariff exemption; The agreement of economic and technical cooperation between China and Madagascar was signed in 2006. Several Chinese companies investing in Madagascar in the infrastructure, energy, the exploitation of oil and raw materials. Bilateral cooperation in the economic and commercial widens constantly rapidly increasing bilateral trade, investment activates the  day and exchanges in cultural, educational and human intensify. The consultations between the two countries in international affairs reinforce more. Cultural Relation: During 40 years of partnership, China has provided more than 350 scholarships and has trained more than 860 government officials and journalist. CONFUCIUS Institutes were established in three provinces of the Big Island. Impact and perspective: The Chinese presence opens a new perspective for developing countries and it presents many more choices in terms of policy and developing model. It allows exploitation of natural resources with higher prices of raw materials and facilitates access to international aid. It promotes the diversification of investment, a new spirit based on the expression win-win more attractive. China’s growth is pushing up global demand and therefore  the price of commodities exported by African countries. In addition, China has become the main partner of several African countries: it provides cheaper manufactured goods and reduces their dependence on their ways traditional trading partners. In the case of Madagascar, the local market is still underdeveloped in that 20% of the population live in urban areas and in this context, the abundance of Chinese products (food, textiles, toys, shoes, appliances, †¦ Markets Local penalizes local industries to the extent that the price of Chinese products is well below the cost of local industries and supply is abundant. The competitiveness of local industries is low compared to the value of a product Chinese including textiles and food products. In the Capital Antananarivo, expansion and Chinese domination can be analyzed via the rapid development of a shopping center Behoririka (name of district) in the middle Capital in the image of Chinatown. Added to this is the development of restorations. However, these imports improve the well-being of people in that price consumer goods from China are within the powers of purchases population. The development of these businesses creates jobs but the salary level remains insufficient compared to the level of wages in the private sector in Madagascar. Chinese competition also exerts downward pressure on the cost of investment. Chinese equipment (transport, agriculture) is very cheap an alternative to higher quality goods. However, the lifetime of the equipment is not long compared to the same type of equipment from Europe. Chinese growth will boost African exports but will also increase volatility. China opened its market by treating preferential tariff least developed countries, but this has not yet been impacted on African exports. In the case of Madagascar, export to the China is still insufficient compared to the values of imports and has been a decade. This increases the trade deficit Malagasy and may undermine the external reserves position of the Central Bank of Madagascar. If Europe the main export destination from Madagascar, China still relatively low and represents 2. 2%. In terms of trade between China and Madagascar, relationships become increasingly important during the last decade. Current trends regional trade showed a significant increase and the value of continuous imports from China, and a modest increase in export exports Madagascar to China. Changes in imports and exports of Madagascar with China do not evolve at the same rate, resulting in an imbalance of trade. The exchanges are obviously in favor of China. CONCLUSION In short cooperation with China is mutually beneficial and China has promoted the cultural development in Madagascar. Projects underway in Madagascar, which involve Chinese aid, are also very visible. In terms of foreign direct investment, the weight of Chinese investors is not negligible and is around 10%. The majority of Chinese capital from Hong Kong. Chinese companies are among the providers of jobs in Madagascar. If the participation of France in the capital is very dominant in Madagascar, China’s participation has increased by 0. 8% to 10. 9% over the same period and has a negative influence on the situation in France. This attests to the strengthening of the position China and offset somewhat the impact of French colonization of the current situation. The friendly cooperation in the field of education, health and trade, have borne remarkable fruit. We think that with the principle of mutual benefit, cooperation between China and Madagascar will have a bright future. REFERENCES †¢ http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/world-africa-13864364 †¢ http://www. irinnews. org/Madagascar †¢ http://www. state. gov/p/af/ci/ma/ †¢ file:///F:/feed%20back%20de%2040%20ans. htm †¢ file:///F:/CCTV%20mirrroir%20d%20afrik%20frappe%20chinoise. htm file:///F:/mada%20chine%202. htm †¢ http://www. xinhuanet. com/english/home. htm †¢ Perspectives economiques en Afrique. OCDE. 2006 †¢ Plan cadre des Nations Unies pour l’assistance au developpement (UNDAF) Madagascar 2008-2011. Systeme des Nations Unies. Juin 2007 †¢ Rapport National sur le Developpement Humain Madagascar 2006 : Le s technologies de l’information et de la communication et developpement humain. PNUD. Avril 2007 †¢ Les echanges entre la Chine et L’Afrique : Situation actuelle, perspectives et sources pour l’analyse , Jean Raphael Chaponniere, STATECO N °100, 2006.

Definition and Meaning of Illiteracy

Definition and Meaning of Illiteracy Illiteracy is the quality or condition of being unable to read or write. Illiteracy is a major problem throughout the world. According to Anne-Marie Trammell, Worldwide, 880 million adults have been labeled as illiterate, and in the United States it is estimated that almost 90 million adults are functionally illiterate, that is to say that they do not have the minimal skills needed to function in society (Encyclopedia of Distance Learning, 2009). In England, says a report from the National Literacy Trust, Around 16 percent, or 5.2 million adults, can be described as functionally illiterate. They would not pass an English GCSE and have literacy levels at or below those expected of an 11-year-old (Literacy: State of the Nation, 2014).   Observations The subculture of illiteracy is larger than anyone on the outside would ever believe. The National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) conducted a study of illiteracy among adults in the United States in 2003, the results of which were released in December 2005. NAAL found that 43 percent of the total population aged 16 and older, or some 93 million people, ranked at the below-basic or basic level in their reading skills. Fourteen percent of the adult population had below-basic skills in reading and understanding prose texts, a percentage that was unchanged from 1992 when the first NAAL report was released.The gap between the 43 percent at below-basic and basic prose literacy and the 57 percent at intermediate and proficient raises the question: How can those at lower levels compete in a world that demands increasing literacy skills? Not surprisingly, the NAAL study found that among adults with below-basic prose literacy, 51 percent were not in the labor force.(John Corcoran, The Bri dge to Literacy. Kaplan, 2009) Illiteracy and the Internet As teenagers’ scores on standardized reading tests have declined or stagnated, some argue that the hours spent prowling the Internet are the enemy of reading, diminishing literacy, wrecking attention spans and destroying a precious common culture that exists only through the reading of books.But others say the Internet has created a new kind of reading, one that schools and society should not discount. The Web inspires a teenager who might otherwise spend most of her leisure time watching television, to read and write.(Motoko Rich, Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading? The New York Times, July 27, 2008) Literacy as  a Continuum of Skills Illiteracy has fallen from one in five people to almost nonexistent over a century and a bit. But illiteracy clearly isn’t a single on-or-off switch. It’s not just you can read and write or you can’t. Literacy is a continuum of skills. Basic education now reaches virtually all Americans. But many among the poorest have the weakest skills in formal English.That combines with another fact: more people are writing than ever before. Even most of the poor today have cell phones and internet. When they text or scribble on Facebook, they’re writing. We easily forget that this is something that farmhands and the urban poor almost never did in centuries past. They lacked the time and means even if they had the education.(Robert Lane Greene, Schotts Vocab Guest Post: Robert Lane Greene on Language Sticklers. The New York Times, March 8, 2011)

Developing a Global Leadership

Developing a Global Leadership With ever increasing globalization and change in business environment, leaders will be challenged to manage relationships more than in the past. This will include the ability to interact effectively with diversity of partners and other businesses and within the larger context of differing cultures. This will truly require global leaders. As Allen J Morrison has discussed in his paper, the changing global environment is likely to continue to stimulate the transformation and revitalization of not only business institutions but also that of leadership styles and approaches. Small as well as large corporations recognize they will have to change in order to compete in the global marketplace. Such transformations require a new set of leadership skills and a good working definition of leadership.Globalization is not a new phenomenon or a new trend. Globalization has become a common trend among organizations in a fight for survival and to expand markets across the globe.Kelvin discusses rese arch ethics during trainingWith this comes a new challenge that is needed to handle globalization. One of the most prominent challenges is to find a leadership style or model that suits your globalization strategy. Global leadership was given more importance post the 1950's. Until before that it was looked up oddly when people spoke of international business. The human resource would look at developing only competencies that suit domestic business. While those who were looking for opportunities abroad were left to fend for themselves and develop competencies that were needed to survive overseas.The article reviews articles from three separate literature streams namely, domestic leadership literature, contingency theory and global strategy literature, and cross-cultural management literature. Literature for domestic leadership has plenty of contributions from the olden days as well as contributions from notable personalities such as Aristotle, Descartes, Confucius, and Machiavelli. O ne area which has limited contributions is the systematic...

Mmmm, You Dirty Rat!

Mmmm, You Dirty Rat! Mmmm, You Dirty Rat! Mmmm, You Dirty Rat! By Maeve Maddox Its the rare media mention of Wall Street con man Bernie Madoff that doesn’t contain the word rat in some context. Bernard Madoff is an evil crook but apparently not a rat. The Big Rats off to the Big House for Life, What About the Little Rats? Madoff may rat out co-conspirators They [Mr. and Mrs. Madoff] seemed to stay apart from the herd,† the club member said. â€Å"They chose not to get into that social rat race.† U.S. District Judge Denny Chin who presumably will sentence Madoff said that he’d sharply limit the number of Madoff victims who get to shake their fist in the swindler’s face and tell him what a rat he is†¦ It is almost inconceivable that Madoff could have spent 20 years squirreling away clients money in a Chase Manhattan bank account, conducting virtually no legitimate transactions, without anybody at Madoff Investment Securities smelling a rat – The etymological origin of the word rat is lost in the mists of the long history shared by this repugnant animal and human beings. (I know, white rats make nice pets. Im talking about nasty rats au naturel.) The OED offers several possible origins, but concludes: It is uncertain whether the Latin and Romance words are cognate with the Germanic words, or whether they were borrowed from Germanic, or vice versa; in any case the ultimate origin is uncertain; perhaps imitative of the sound of gnawing. The OED also offers seven entries for rat as a noun and three for rat as a verb. The literal meaning of rat is, of course, a rodent resembling a large mouse, often with a naked or sparsely haired tail. Then there are the figurative uses that derive from the fact that rats are associated with filth and that they are said to be quick to leave a sinking ship or a falling house. The sense of rat as one who abandons his associates was in use in 1629. rat as a noun rat a despicable person, especially one who betrays or informs upon associates. rat scab laborer NOTE: a scab is either an employee who works while his colleagues are on strike, or an outsider hired to replace a striking worker. rat a pad of material, typically hair, worn as part of a womans coiffure to puff out her own hair. rat as a verb rat intransitive verb to desert a party, cause, or princple; to go over as a deserter; to abandon, desert, or betray any person or thing. rat transitive verb to backcomb or tease hair rat intransitive to act as an informer; to betray to the police or other authorities rat on to inform on a person rat out to inform on a person; to betray a person to the police or other authorities Other rat words and expressions rat-fink teenage slang from the 60s. A pleonasm since either rat or fink alone can mean an informant or, as verbs to inform. rat-race A fiercely competitive race or contest; spec. urban working life regarded as an unremitting struggle for wealth ., status, etc. ratsbane arsenic rathole messy, nasty place rat-pack juvenile gang; celebrities surrounding Frank Sinatra to smell a rat to suspect that something is wrong Rat has even become a suffix to create words that mean person who frequents such and such a place: dock-rat, bar-rat, rug-rat, etc. My brother, like many Cagney impersonators, thought he was quoting Cagney when he said, with appropriate grimaces and inflections, Mmmmm, you dirty rat! According to the Wikipedia Cagney bio, what Cagney really said in the movie Taxi! was Come out and take it, you dirty, yellow-bellied rat, or Ill give it to you through the door! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Homograph ExamplesThe Letter "Z" Will Be Removed from the English AlphabetThe "Pied" in The Pied Piper

Analysis of The Choice by the Russell Roberts Essay

Analysis of The Choice by the Russell Roberts - Essay Example Writer convincingly put forward important arguments in favor of free trade and how it can actually increase the economic prosperity. What is, however, also critical to note that the author has practically failed to realize as to how protectionism can actually provide necessary benefits to an economy. The example of China is one of the critical examples of how the selective protectionism can play an instrumental role in the development of the country and writer has probably failed to envisage a future where different variations of the protectionism can actually increase economic freedom and contribute towards the growth. As such the advocacy of the free trade by the author is actually an advocacy of the American dream and not a more practical presentation of economic theory and logic and how protectionism can too contribute towards the development of a nation regardless of the fact whether the country is actively involved in the free trade or  not.

What is Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What is Art - Essay Example It was like art for me was ballet, Van Gogh, and those expensive pieces auctioned off at Christie’s. The keyword is â€Å"expensive† – a consumerist concept. The interactions within the lectures – those between teacher and students and students among themselves, gave me further insights. As I learned together with others, I came to understand the diversity of our perceptions, of our skills and the individual ability to construct meanings. So art may be different but it can also be universal. It is like the concept truth, in a way. I also discovered some of my personal biases and preferences and how they affect my understanding and interpretation of artworks. Having recognized this, I can say that I am now in a better position to appreciate art and identify what it is. One important principle that I learned was that in art, there is no one or single beauty because beauty is diverse. I have learned the dynamics behind this, which I believe widened my horizon and understanding so that I am able to appreciate art in its true

Continuous Professional Development Portfolio Assignment

Continuous Professional Development Portfolio - Assignment Example 13). All resources needed to implement the activities outlined in the plan need to be well sourced. Commitment to the plan needs to be shown by the individual in order for professional and personal development opportunities to be realised. If by any chance, an individual is not committed to executing outlined development activities, improving his skills and knowledge is very difficult, and vice versa. In this report, I am going to outline my own personal and professional strengths and weaknesses, and strategies to improve them. I am an Omani by nationally, and was born in a place known as Sultanate of Oman. I am aged 30 years and married. I am a statistics specialist and teacher by profession. I have been very successful in my academic career. Currently, I am studying an English course at the University of Salford, United Kingdom. I have a bachelor degree in education and a third certificate secondary school certificate. I have been lucky to work in a number of schools that have been instrumental in my professional development. Having opportunities to exercise my personal skills and knowledge has played a significant role in the process of improving my competencies. My skills and knowledge in the education, statistics and administration field has played a significant role in enabling me secure various employment opportunities. In all my workplaces, I have always emerged as the best employee and leader. From 3rd November to present, I am employed as a Statistician at the ministry of civil service in Oman. My roles and duties are as outlined below; I have also had a good experience in managing workforce, working as an assistant human resource manager. I used to manage employees in a friendly manner, hence the reason why my team used to realise set goals and objectives within the set period of time. As a HR profession, my roles and responsibilities were; I have been able to gain a number of work skills in my career development and experience. Skills