CHINA’s growth model is shifting, but Africa’s response has been unclear and inadequate.

Over the past couple of years, China has become less resource intensive as the economy moves into middle-income status. As prosperity spreads, it has become more consumer and services driven.

The growth trajectory has been slowing, and by mid-April, reports show a growth rate of 7.7%, down from the projected rate of 7.9%. The days of growth rates exceeding 10% are now history.

China’s new government, led by President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang, have placed a particular emphasis on the personal aspects of economic success encapsulated in the notion of the China Dream, to create a new aspirational lifestyle that is innately sustainable for the country’s emerging middle class.

Of course, we need to acknowledge that even before China’s growth model changed, African countries did not effectively engage the Chinese. There have been two types of critiques of the Africa-China economic relationship.

The first category is what can be termed “Western-inspired criticisms” and the second set consists of genuine grievances levelled by the Africans themselves.

Upfront, we need to say that African countries must not blame China or any other foreign power or institution for their problems.

But by getting heavily involved in Africa economically, the Chinese have broken the Western hold on Africa-World trade.

In fact, the West has been clearly out-competed by the Chinese. This has led to self-serving Western-inspired attacks on the Chinese in Africa.

The central charges include the claim that the Chinese are indifferent to governance issues, that they support dictators in Africa, plunder Africa’s natural resources as part of a new colonialism, they don’t add value to African commodities, they bring labour from China, and are engaged in unfair and poor labour practices.

Furthermore, the hypocrisy on the governance matter is striking. When Western nations and their institutions go out to trade and invest they do not insist on democracy, good governance or human rights pre-conditions.

Western countries trade with and invest in China, and yet China is certainly not a Western-type democracy. If the West does not put democracy or human rights pre-conditions to China before they deal with it, why should China put such conditionalities to African regimes before engagement?

Lest we are misunderstood on the importance and efficacy of democracy, respect of human rights and good governance in African countries, these concepts are fundamental in our agenda to build sustainable and viable African economies and societies.

Africans must embrace democracy on their own without depending on pressure from external powers. In doing so we must fully engage in and learn from the democracy versus economic development debate. The doctrine that says “Seek first the kingdom of democracy” and the rest will follow, is not only flawed but is also not backed by history.

For example, Singapore, China, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Dubai do not exactly fit into the Western definition of democratic states, but they are quite economically prosperous. Malawi, Zambia, and South Africa fairly satisfy the Western democratic prescriptions, but the majority of their citizens are crippled by poverty, inequality and unemployment.

A nation can be prosperous without following the Western democracy model, while embracing such a model does not guarantee economic success.

The second type of critique levelled against the Chinese in Africa comes from Africans themselves. These are genuine concerns coming from African policy makers and business leaders, who want a win-win arrangement between Africa and China. The Chinese must not be defensive about these genuine African concerns.

These include claims that Chinese are involved in extractive trade in raw materials without adding value to benefit Africans, they bring labour from China with low employment of locals, there is no skills-transfer, that the Chinese buy primary goods from Africa then sell it manufactured goods and claims of unfair local labour practices and cheaper Chinese goods (sometimes low quality) undercutting African products.

• Mutambara is Zimbabwe's Deputy Prime Minister

• This article was first published in Sunday Times: Business Times

Africa need to wake up we are the joke of the world, this is the result of imperialist and neo colonialism thriving in our land making us poor everyday by day, while they mock us as the world the most backward continent. the western succeed in enslaving now now china are ding the same thing WAKE UP AFRICA BEFORE IT GET TOO LATE .