TL;DR:
China’s transformation from ancient empires to a modern powerhouse didn’t happen overnight—it came through discipline, production, and vision. Africa, rich in resources and youth, can learn to produce rather than import. For South Sudan, the future depends on local industries, education, and self-belief. True development begins when nations stop consuming what others make and start creating their own.
There are days in life that whisper deeper truths into your soul. Today was one such day. As part of the Seminar on Chinese Modernization and African Development here in Xi’an, we visited two awe-inspiring locations: the legendary Terracotta Museum and the highly futuristic LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd.
One represents ancient culture preserved with pride; the other, cutting-edge solar innovation. And somewhere between these two worlds lies Africa’s unanswered question: When will we stop being consumers and finally become producers?
FAQs
1. What is the main lesson Africa can learn from China?
That progress begins with productivity. China invested in manufacturing, innovation, and education to build self-reliance and power.
2. How does this apply to South Sudan?
South Sudan must move beyond oil exports and invest in agriculture, technology, and small industries that create local jobs and value.
3. Why is overreliance on imports harmful?
It weakens economies, drains resources, and creates dependency. Producing locally builds resilience and national pride.
4. What role does education play in this shift?
Education empowers young people with skills to innovate, solve problems, and drive industrial growth from the ground up.
5. How can faith and culture support this change?
By inspiring unity, discipline, and hard work. When people see work as service, productivity becomes a national mission—not just an economic goal.
Pit 1, Pit 3, Pit 2 – Culture as a Strategic Asset
Our first stop was the world-renowned Terracotta Army, a UNESCO World Heritage site that needs no introduction. We were guided through the three pits—ironically not in sequence: 3, 1, then 2—almost like a spiritual riddle. What struck me most wasn’t just the sheer scale or craftsmanship of the warriors but the underlying philosophy: belief in the afterlife, investment in legacy, and the power of identity.
I couldn’t help but think of Africa—our ancestors also believed in the afterlife. We buried our dead with honor and dignity, often with what they would need in the spiritual realm. But unlike the Chinese, we were made to feel ashamed of these beliefs, branded as primitive or animist. Today, I find validation not in the West but in the East. If two ancient civilizations—Africa and China—believed in the continuity of life after death, maybe there’s something universal here. Maybe our faith, long mocked, is not primitive after all but a form of intellectual intuition.
A Truck Every 8.4 Minutes? Let That Sink In
After the museum, we transitioned from the past to the future. The Shaanxi Heavy-Duty Automobile Co., Ltd left me stunned. In just 8.4 minutes, a full truck rolls off the assembly line—thanks to AI and automation. I stood there watching robots and machines working in a symphony of precision, speed, and consistency. As I observed, a thought struck me like a thunderbolt: “Why can’t Africa build this too?”
Why is it that Africa, a continent so rich in raw materials, continues to export crude only to import finished goods at ten times the cost? Why do we buy trucks from China instead of assembling them in Juba, Kampala, or Lagos? The answer, my friend, isn’t in our soil—it’s in our mindsets. Africa is not poor. Africa is poorly organized.
From Heat to Light: The Solar Revolution
Today’s Enterprise Visit was to LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd, a global giant in solar technology. The irony wasn’t lost on me: Africa, bathed in sunlight year-round, imports solar panels from countries with half our sunshine! We learned about the evolution of solar cell efficiency, innovations in thin-film and monocrystalline cells, and how LONGi continuously reinvests in R&D to improve their products.
I’ll be honest—I didn’t understand all the science behind it. The lady who gave the tour was kind enough to simplify it, bless her! But even as she spoke, my brain was busy elsewhere. I was thinking of the African sun. I was thinking of young people jobless in solar-rich states like South Sudan, Kenya, and Ghana. I was thinking, “Why aren’t we the LONGi of Africa?”
Wake Up Call for Africa: The Silent Diplomacy of Technology
You see, Africa keeps attending forums, seminars, and conferences with shiny PowerPoint presentations and colorful national costumes. But we come back with pictures, not plants. We return with business cards, not business plans. If this China-Africa seminar has taught me anything, it’s this: China doesn’t just trade products—they trade philosophy, discipline, and vision. Africa must start doing the same.
We, the African delegates here, are not ministers or political heads. We’re the thinkers, the diplomats, the scholars. And that makes it even more urgent to take these lessons home and act—not just draft more policy papers that gather dust.
Is China Hiding the Knowledge?
Now, let me address the elephant in the room. Is China deliberately avoiding coaching Africa so they don’t lose their customer base? Are they worried that if we learn how to fish, we’ll stop buying their fish? Maybe. Maybe not. But why should that stop us?
True partnership means shared knowledge. True brotherhood is not afraid of empowerment. So, either we start demanding genuine technology transfer—or we start copying it ourselves. China didn’t ask permission from the West before launching their own modernization. Why should we?
What’s Stopping South Sudan?
Let me bring this home. In South Sudan, we import everything—from soap to solar panels. We talk endlessly about oil, agriculture, and youth empowerment. But we do nothing substantial to build industries. No incubation hubs, no national research labs, no meaningful trade schools. Just more conferences.
If we were serious, we’d be turning Juba into a hub for solar panel assembly. We’d be creating industrial parks in Wau, Malakal, and Bor. We’d be collaborating with nations like China not just to buy, but to build.
Lessons Africa Must Learn—Fast
- Culture is not backward; it’s branding.
The Terracotta Warriors aren’t just a historical site; they’re a billion-dollar tourism magnet. African traditions, when properly preserved and narrated, can be the same. - Automation doesn’t kill jobs—it shifts them.
Robots build trucks in China, yes. But it took thousands of engineers to design, maintain, and run that system. Africa needs to embrace technology, not fear it. - Energy is the next oil.
Solar energy should be Africa’s game. If we don’t lead in solar tech, history will not forgive us. - Faith is not a weakness.
Belief in the spiritual does not make us primitive. It makes us human. China respects its roots while embracing the future. Africa can too. - If you can’t learn from your brother, you’ll always be his buyer.
The West colonized us. The East, at worst, is outpacing us. Either way, we must catch up or shut up.
What Next?
As I prepare for the final China-Africa Agricultural Trade and Economic Cooperation Exchange Forum and the closing ceremony on July 24, one thought lingers: If I, a South Sudanese thinker, can stand in a solar factory in China and ask, “Why not us?”—then it’s time our governments, universities, and private sectors start asking the same.
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China didn’t start modernizing with billions. They started with belief. Africa has that too. What we now need is coordination, courage, and commitment.
So here’s my challenge to you, my fellow Africans: The next time you sit under a Chinese-made solar lamp, ask yourself—why couldn’t it have been made in Africa? Then get up and do something about it.
John Monyjok Maluth is a South Sudanese author of 100 books, a nationalist thinker, and a lifelong learner. He is currently participating in the Seminar on Chinese Modernization and African Development in Xi’an, China, until July 25, 2025.
Email: maluthabiel@gmail.com
Phone: +211 927 145 394
Website: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007Q063CG
Tagline: Living to Inspire, Empower, and Integrate Individuals Into the Ecosystem of Life
