Bad environment

Along with 10 co-workers, Bian Zili left Kuito in Angola last month. Their project is not complete, but the boss has decided to suspend work because of turmoil during the presidential election. The 47-year-old from Xiliuchun, a village that neighbors Lujiazhuang, felt confined and saw potential danger everywhere.

An air ticket outlet in the center of Lujiazhuang village. According to its owner, Sun Fengtao, about 300 locals buy tickets at his outlet every year. Photos by Kuang Linhua / for China Daily

In August, he traveled to Angola to work as a carpenter. When he arrived at the airport in Luanda, he was stopped by a security officer who searched his bags. Nothing untoward was discovered, but the officer did not let him go. "Where is the dollar?" the officer muttered to himself.

Bian was dumbfounded because he didn't understand what the officer meant. However a translator explained that the officer wanted cash to smooth the way. Bian gave him 10 dollars, but the officer didn't give up. "He was waiting for 30 dollars and showed me three fingers to indicate that," said Bian. It didn't end there, though, and Bian had to pay another $30 at the airport on his way out of the country. "You know, 30 dollars is not a big deal, but the point is I felt like I was being robbed," he said.

In addition, Bian and his co-workers dared not to step out of their construction site. His employer repeatedly emphasized just how dangerous that would be. The language barrier was one obstacle, but what really made his boss nervous were crimes such as robbery and even murder.

"I was scared and just slept or talked to my wife via an instant messenger service after 10 hours hard work each day," he said.

Meanwhile, many of the Chinese workers were unable to get accustomed to the tropical weather. Many were affected by malaria and the Chinese medicine the company bought had little effect. At one point, Bian spent four days in a malaria fever. His condition was so bad that his colleagues even called his wife. Fortunately, he recovered fairly rapidly. "Although the pay was very good, the place was really bad and I won't go there anymore," Bian said.

A risky assignment

However, Bian was lucky to be working with co-workers and bosses, individual Chinese businessmen in Africa have had to face all the risks alone.

There are no official statistics regarding Chinese workers in Africa, but the number is estimated to be 1 million. Half of the 20,000 Chinese in Kenya are construction workers and the other are private businessmen, said Han Jun, president of the Overseas Chinese Federation in Kenya.

About 20,000 Chinese immigrants work in Nigeria and the northern city of Kano is home to the largest textile trade market in West Africa. More than 300 Chinese shops have operated there for 20 years. Now, increased competition in China and plummeting demand from Europe and the US have seen more Chinese merchants turning to Africa.

Safety, immigration officers and inequitable taxation are the three main concerns for Chinese businessmen, said Wang Qiang, secretary general of the China-Africa Chamber of Commerce in Kano.

He believed that Chinese merchants in Kano are especially vulnerable to crimes such as robbery and burglary. On May 28, one of the Chinese workers in Wang's neighborhood was robbed in his home. All his cash, his computers and even kitchen knives were taken, but he did not dare to fight the thief. "The robbers will do everything to cover up their crime. If you fight, they will kill you without hesitation. So every time the robbers come to me, my first idea is that money can be earned, but that life only happens once," said the victim, who declined to be named.

Wang said Chinese workers often have difficulty obtaining work permits and permanent residency. Many get their visas through links with officials, according to the unnamed trader. However, Chinese workers are usually targeted by immigration officials ahead of all other ethnic groups. "The best way to clear things up is by giving them money. Usually, I have to ask my local friends for help. They negotiate with the officers to let us go," said the unnamed trader.

Wang remembers how immigration officials arrested textile traders last month. "The officers did not ask whether we had visas or passports, they just came and took some people away. Some had only been in Kano for two days," he said.

Before 2010, the country's textile industry was hugely profitable and merchants could make a net profit of as much as 70 or 80 percent. However, as that figure has now fallen to 10 or 20 percent, many traders are considering setting sail for home.

Need more help

Africa still has plenty of potentially immense markets, such as Nigeria, according to Han Jun, president of Overseas Chinese Federation in Kenya. But he admitted that problems do exist, especially as many officials fail to abide by the laws, and the market has a great many loopholes.

Han suggested that foreign businessmen should be properly prepared before moving into the market, especially in terms of the correct documentation and at least some understanding of the local language.

"If you believe that money can solve all the problems, the local officials will get the impression that the Chinese are timid, but actually we are not," Han said.

Wang Qiang said that businessmen really need more help from the Chinese authorities, especially the embassies in African countries. "I hope that, with the support of our country, we can make a profit and build a better life," Wang said.

Contact the reporter at huyongqi@chinadaily.com.cn