African Constructions Of China

"Marking a constructivist turn in Africa-China scholarship, this book explores African constructions of China. Using Ghana and Kenya as case studies, the book outlines the role of diverse state and non-state actors in defining what China represents to the region, and how it compares to Western powers. Resisting Sino- and state-centric analysis of China-Africa relations, this book emphasises the importance of African agency in shaping the discourse. The book demonstrates that the identity construction of a foreign state such as China takes place both at the international level, and at a domestic, intrastate level. Domestic constructions of China in Ghana and Kenya reflect internal tensions about future directions for African political and socio-economic development, and these constructions in turn help to justify government policies towards China. The book concludes by questioning the idea of a straightforward win-win relationship, and suggests that exploitative, hierarchical relations conventionally associated with North-South interactions may continue in South-South relations. This book's important analysis of the role of domestic non-state actors in shaping African policymaking extends much needed nuance to a sometimes polarised debate. It will be of interest to researchers across the fields of politics, international relations, global development, and African and Chinese Studies"--

Marking a constructivist turn in Africa-China scholarship, this book explores African constructions of China. Using Ghana and Kenya as case studies, the book outlines the role of diverse state and non-state actors in defining what China represents to the region, and how it compares to Western powers. Resisting Sino- and state-centric analysis of China-Africa relations, this book emphasises the importance of African agency in shaping the discourse. The book demonstrates that the identity construction of a foreign state such as China takes place both at the international level, and at a domestic, intrastate level. Domestic constructions of China in Ghana and Kenya reflect internal tensions about future directions for African political and socio-economic development, and these constructions in turn help to justify government policies towards China. The book concludes by questioning the idea of a straightforward win-win relationship, and suggests that exploitative, hierarchical relations conventionally associated with North-South interactions may continue in South-South relations. This book’s important analysis of the role of domestic non-state actors in shaping African policymaking extends much needed nuance to a sometimes polarised debate. It will be of interest to researchers across the fields of politics, international relations, global development, and African and Chinese Studies.

In recent years, a number of emerging economies have begun to play a growing role in the finance of infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa. Their combined resource flows are now comparable in scale to traditional Official Development Assistance (ODA) from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries or to capital from private investors. These emerging financiers include China, India, and the Gulf States, with China being by far the largest player.Despite its importance, relatively little is known about the value of Chinese finance. The main purpose of this study is to.

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2013 in the subject Politics - Region: Africa, grade: noe, , course: China-Africa Relations, language: English, abstract: Embedded in the Addis Ababa Action Plan formulated by China and Africa is the commitment to infrastructural development. Through many of its state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and construction firms, China has built over 20 demonstration centers for agricultural technology, about 30 hospitals, 30 malaria centers and over 150 schools all over Africa. In Cameroon, Chinese construction firms within the past decade under took several construction projects aimed at improving the infrastructural situation of the country. In fact, their presence is obvious in almost all spheres of life: from the construction of road network and stadia through the construction of hospitals, schools, improvement of communication network and the provision of affordable housing, to the construction of dams for electricity supply and the provision of portable drinking water. China through these firms has truly improved the infrastructural situation of Africa in general (both proponents and critics agree on this) ad Cameroon in particular, and has thus propelled the country for economic growth and development. The contribution of Chinese construction firms to the infrastructural development of Africa has been reported in literature. However, this paper examines the presence of these firms in Cameroon not only to highlight the diversity of their operations but to participate in the ongoing debate on the motives behind their quest so as to echo the impact of their contributions on all sectors of the Cameroonian economy; and most importantly on the lives of the citizenry.

"This book describes China's growing range of activities in Africa, especially in the sub-Saharan region. The three most important instruments China has at its disposal in Africa are development aid, investments and trade policy. The Chinese government, which believes the Western development aid model has failed, is looking for new forms of aid and development in Africa. China's economic success can partly be ascribed to the huge availability of cheap labour, which is primarily employed in export-oriented industries. China is looking for the required raw materials in Africa, and for new marketplaces. Investments are being made on a large scale in Africa by Chinese state-controlled firms and private companies, particularly in the oil-producing countries (Angola, Nigeria and Sudan) and countries rich in minerals (Zambia). Third, the trade policy China is conducting is analysed in China and compared with that of Europe and the United States. In case studies the specific situation in several African countries is examined. In Zambia the mining industry, construction and agriculture are described. One case study of Sudan deals with the political presence of China in Sudan and the extent to which Chinese arms suppliers contributed to the current crisis in Darfur. The possibility of Chinese diplomacy offering a solution in that conflict is discussed. The conclusion considers whether social responsibility can be expected of the Chinese government and companies and if this is desirable, and to what extent the Chinese model in Africa can act as an example - or not - for the West"--Publisher's description.

This volume considers China-Africa relations in the context of a global division of labour and power, and through the history and experiences of both China and Africa. It examines the core ideas of structural transformation, productive investment and industrialization, international trade, infrastructure development, and financing.

Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of figures -- List of tables -- Acknowledgements -- List of contributors -- Introduction and context -- 1 Introduction: images, nation branding and news framing -- 2 Beyond the drama: Sino-African ties in perspective -- Part 1 Building images through cultural cooperation and diplomacy -- Section A: Historical contexts -- 3 Revolutionary friendship: representing Africa during the Mao Era -- 4 Giving 'prominence to politics': African sportsmen visit China in the early Cultural Revolution -- Section B: Contemporary relations -- 5 Twenty-first century Sino-African cultural cooperation: exploring reciprocity -- 6 Confucius Institutes in Africa: culture and language without controversy? -- 7 China corner: Chinese book donations to Africa -- 8 China's digital public diplomacy towards Africa: actors, messages and audiences -- Part 2 Building images through media representation and communication -- 9 Chinese media and diplomacy in Africa: theoretical pathways -- 10 Newspaper coverage of China's engagement with Nigeria: partner or predator? -- 11 Media construction of African image(s) for the Chinese media public -- 12 Chinese developmentalism and television representation of South Africa -- 13 The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities of Huawei and ZTE in Africa -- 14 The effectiveness of Chinese technical assistance and knowledge transfer in East Africa from the perspective of medium-of-instruction -- Index

China has recently emerged as one of Africa’s top business partners, aggressively pursuing its raw materials and establishing a mighty presence in the continent’s booming construction market. Among major foreign investors in Africa, China has stirred the most fear, hope, and controversy. For many, the specter of a Chinese neocolonial scramble is looming, while for others China is Africa’s best chance at economic renewal. Yet, global debates about China in Africa have been based more on rhetoric than on empirical evidence. Ching Kwan Lee’s The Specter of Global China is the first comparative ethnographic study that addresses the critical question: Is Chinese capital a different kind of capital? Offering the clearest look yet at China’s state-driven investment in Africa, this book is rooted in six years of extensive fieldwork in copper mines and construction sites in Zambia, Africa’s copper giant. Lee shadowed Chinese, Indian, and South African managers in underground mines, interviewed Zambian miners and construction workers, and worked with Zambian officials. Distinguishing carefully between Chinese state capital and global private capital in terms of their business objectives, labor practices, managerial ethos, and political engagement with the Zambian state and society, she concludes that Chinese state investment presents unique potential and perils for African development. The Specter of Global China will be a must-read for anyone interested in the future of China, Africa, and capitalism worldwide.