Africa -China Review Africa -China Cooperation and Transformation
This week, two stories appeared separately one on bbc.com news of August 25th August 2020, with a title, “Chinese phones with built-in malware sold in Africa. The second story was published by a US based website, BuzzFeed News of August 24th, 2020, with the tittle, ”Chinese- made smartphones are secretly stealing money from people around the world”.
The story by BuzzFeed News claims that users complained about the Chinese made Techno phone, with pop-up ads that interrupted calls and chats as well as prepaid data being mysteriously used up and messages about paid subscriptions to apps that users never asked for. The BBC story on the other hand claimed that an anti-fraud firm- Upstream found a malicious code on 53,000 Techno handsets sold in Ethiopia, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana and South Africa.
Africa-China Review had an interview with the Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese embassy in Rwanda, Mr. Wang Jiaxin, on the claims made in the two stories. First, of all, he was not surprised because this was not the first time Western media discredited Chinese phones, computers and other ICT led technologies. Mr. Wang said that, “ In recent years, some Media outlets in Western countries have repeatedly cooked up stories of China’s so-called data collecting malware in order to intensify the suppression of enterprises of Chinese origin such as Huawei, Wechat, Tiktok, and now Chinese inexpensive smartphone manufacturers popular in Africa”.
Something that stands out common in the two stories, is that the authors did not hide the fact that Transsion, the Chinese company that makes Techno and other low priced smartphones has out competed other prominent mobile phone manufactures like Sumsung and Nokia. “Since releasing its first smartphone in 2014, the upstart (read Transsion) has grown to become Africa’s top handset seller, beating longtime market leaders Samsung and Nokia”; reads the BuzzFeed News story. The biggest contradiction found in the story is how a top handset seller, who is making maximum profits more than other strong competitors like Samsung and Nokia, resorts to “stealing money from their customers around the world” as the title suggests!
The BBC story as well, recognizes that, “According to research firm IDC, Transsion Holdings is one of China’s leading phone manufacturers and in Africa it is the top selling mobile manufacturer”. Commercial analysts point out that technology and business competition is the real underlying issue behind the smear campaign against Chinese phones in Africa.
The Chinese Diplomat Mr. Wang Jiaxin, further said that, “The wanton suppressing of Chinese enterprises with state power and media hegemony is a demonstration of putting political intrigues above market principles and international rules. The fabricated stories are meant to sow discord and disrupt the China-Africa cooperation, and sabotage the existing excellent China-Africa partnership; Mr. Wang concluded.
An African political analyst wondered why there are no complaints from Africa governments and businesses in the private sector about China’s phones but the Western media acts as an advocate for the African countries and people. The writing is on the wall, he said. Since 2009, when China overtook the Unites States of America as Africa’s leading trading partners, malicious propaganda about everything Chinese has been spread though Western media. Countries must respect international laws and embrace healthy competition to build a wealthy world for all.
Africa-China Review Editorial