Chinese investment in The Gambia and Environmental Questions

2018

Diplomacy with a human face rests on three fundamental pillars – state to state relationship, state to people relationship and people to people relationship.

Investment with a human face must also enhance the three fundamental pillars. It will serve state to state relationship, enhance state to people relationship and foster people to people relationship. Any investment that harms the environment of a state and undermines the welfare of her people cannot be considered to be investment with a human face.

It would be important for China to have rules for its investors so that they would add value to the development of countries and their peoples. Such rules of engagement of its investors should be made known to the media so that those who violate them would be held accountable for disregarding the principles of their own states. All Chinese investors in The Gambia should be urged by their authorities to be transparent and be open to the Gambian people so that there would be clarity on questions raised regarding gas oil production from waste and sludge and the challenges to the environment with a view to developing environmentally friendly means of recycling waste.