China helps people living in dictatorships?

Every Chinese were taught that China sacrificed a lot in building a railway between Tanzania and Zambia, which is a display of Sino-Africa friendship. It was the biggest foreign aid of China at that time when millions of people were starving domestically. This railway built by sweat and blood should make China forever a popular friend in Africa.

Mostly, it is still the case now. The Sino-Africa Summit a couple of years ago attracted more than 40 heads of states and governments and representatives from all African countries. But today, China is no longer attractive because its moral high standard in international relations with Third World countries or its Maoist ideology, but for its gigantic economic power (though sometimes it is not that good, such as scandal in Namibia).

Days ago, when President Kagame of Rwanda spoke to a German press, he declared African countries needed and liked Chinese aid. Of course, a deal without precondition of domestic political change is attractive to anyone. Today, China signed a huge mining and oil deal with Guinean authorities only days after a massacre by the military government. (BBC)

While many people still believe this Guinean government has no legitimacy to sign on trade deals, the Guinean government official claims that this deal will only benefit the innocent people. It sounds reasonable. Is it really true?

Kagame said African governments prefer to have trade instead of foreign aids, for this is the only way for them to develop themselves. In this aspect, China is doing still the right thing. It is the only way for Africa to go out of the malicious cycle to have a sustainable progress.

You can say that because corruption is rife, those trades can never make a difference. This is not true. Even 80% of the trade went to the pockets of the corrupt officials, people can still benefit from the 20%, which is much better than nothing (Western sanction).

The only thing is this would help those dictators to maintain their power. That's true, but history tells us sanction is not an efficient way to end dictatorship. Knowing this, trading with this country should be a dominant strategy.

But how on earth can we transition African countries into democracies? I believe communication, not isolation, would be the only way. Only after people are exposed to the fact that democracies are more prosperous can they really support this movement. Isolation will only lead to starvation, forcing people to support whoever can provide them food. Western countries should change their mindset on how to deal with Africa if they don't want China to take control.