There is a tale I have heard, possibly apocryphal, of a USSR ambassador talking to a Pakistan leader in the eighties. His talk ran as follows:

"The problem with the Americans is that things change. One day they're your friends, the next day they aren't. You can't tell what they will want from election to election. They're unreliable. I don't know who will be in charge in Moscow in 15 years, but I tell you this, no matter who they are the goals of Russian foreign policy then will be the same as the goals of Russian foreign policy today. You can trust us, not because we are altruistic, but because we aren't - we know what our interests are, we are public about what they are, and we follow them."

What brought this to mind was this article on a speech by Chinese PM Wen Jiabao:

Speaking at a news conference in Cairo at the start of a tour of seven African countries, Wen said China's foreign policy was based on mutual benefit, adding that his country would not interfere in matters such as human rights.

"This attempt and efforts to develop relations are not directed at entering into any alliance and will not compromise the interests of any other countries," he said. "I am confident that the U.S. government also recognizes this."

Wen is the third high-ranking Chinese official to visit Africa in six months. Analysts say the visits emphasize Africa's strategic importance to China's efforts to supply its booming economy with energy and materials.

Human rights groups have voiced concern that China might obtain resources in Africa with little regard for the environment or the human rights records of the governments it deals with.

After meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Wen reiterated China's position of nonintervention.

Asked about promoting human rights in Africa, Wen replied, "We follow the principle of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and noninterference in others' internal affairs in our relations with African nations."

"There is no way that someone could ever put the hat of neocolonialism on the head of China," he said, adding that China had given billions in aid to Africa and had sent thousands of medical and technical personnel to help with various projects.

Ouch. Now, see, this is completely credible coming from China. They don't care about the internal affairs of regimes that aren't in their immediate vicinity.

The US and Europe... who knows, they might decide to invade you, or they might impose sanctions, or they might drag you or your ministers off to some court and imprison them for life.

China - they do business, and as long as you keep to the deal, you're safe.

A lot of regimes that have oil and other commodities are not exactly paragons of civil rights.

To put it mildly.

China says to them, "we can do business and we won't screw around with your internal affairs". The US and Europe say "you have to do things our way in order to do business with us."

Which is more attractive?

And be clear, this isn't just about human rights abuses. This is about not getting in bed with a country like the US that thinks it has a moral right to use armed force to get its way. You don't sup with devil, or make deals with the mafia, and think that you can ever say "well, that's it, we won't be dealing together any more".

So it's not just various African nations falling into China's orbit - it's countries like Iran, which are out of favour with the US. China can't offer technology and weapons on the level that the West can, but it can offer good enough technology and weapons for most purposes.

And the only strings they come attached to are the strings that are explicit - pay your bills, and keep shipping China whatever you promised her.

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