week 11

Question 1

China’s Future Goals

Answer 1

By 2049, after 100 years of the CPC’s (Communist Part of China) founding in 1949, China hopes to be a “world class power.”
* The plan was to reduce poverty by 2022 – still at least 8 million in poverty, less than $1.90 per day – still working on this!

Question 2

How China plans to be a Great Power

Answer 2

1. By 2021, China planned to double its 2010 gross domestic product to $12 trillion so that it can become a “moderately prosperous society.” Still working on this!
2. Regional and global leadership
3. Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

Question 3

Soft Power

Answer 3

Lies in the ability to attract and persuade as opposed to hard power—the ability to coerce— which uses military or economic might, soft power arises from the attractiveness of a country’s culture, political ideals, and policies.
* Joseph Nye’s three pillars of soft power are: political values, culture, and foreign policy.

Question 4

China’s Soft Power

Answer 4

This initiative and others show China’s growing ability to advance its strategic interests through Co-option, Co-operation, and Inducements

This concept of soft power is adapted from America, Joseph Nye on the importance of culture, values, and ideals to shape global norms

Question 5

Guanxi

Answer 5

A central idea in Chinese culture: a system of social networks and influential relationships that facilitate business and political dealings through personal ties, favors, and hierarchies

Question 6

China’s Grand Strategy

Answer 6

Seeks to build on and expand its financial reach beyond its borders through increased investments by private and public entities
The multibillion dollar “Belt Road Initiative” aims to strengthen infrastructure, trade, and development links between China, Africa, the Gulf countries, Asia, and Europe, is central to this effort.
* This also aims at expanding China’s infrastructure, manufacturing and markets

Question 7

Africa’s Part in the Grand Scheme

Answer 7

China sees Africa playing a key role in accomplishing its goals.
* Africa is recognized as an emerging market with high dividends despite high risks.
* A source of raw materials including rare minerals
* China Seeking legitimacy as an international power
* Africa provides the Biggest single block voting in the UN – 55 countries!
* Shared values – looking up to China for development

Question 8

Soft Power through Education and Training

Answer 8

Training people including political groups
– Confucius Institutes – throughout the world promoting Chinese languages and cultures!
– African students – in China – from less than 2,000 in 2003 to 50,000 in 2015!

Question 9

Soft Power in the African Continent

Answer 9

Using FOCAC since 2000 to go beyond the borders and influence African policymaking at difference levels – Influencing the entire continent at once!
* In 2008, the African Union (AU) established the China–AU Strategic Dialogue to strengthen ties.
* In 2011 – China opened the African Union Headquarters building in Ethiopia!
* China goes inside the African borders to influence professionals, political leaders, educators, private sector and to impact the society

Question 10

Soft Power - Leadership Training

Answer 10

In 2016, China increased the number of annual scholarships granted to African government leaders from 200 to 1,000.
– These leaders come from parliaments, local governments, politically neutral groups, and even opposition parties.
– Leadership training at all levels including youth programs

Question 11

The Media as Soft Power

Answer 11

In 2018, Xinhua established an Africa regional bureau in Nairobi.
* There are several engagements between Chinese and Africa media. These include collaborations on projections and China providing equipment.
* The Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation is a new addition to China’s portfolio of soft power engagements. In 2018 brought together 400 African and Chinese professional to discuss the state of the media in their countries

Question 12

Opposition to China’s Soft Power

Answer 12

Opposition to the flooding of African markets with cheap, low-quality Chinese goods;
* Beijing’s opaque investments, especially in the extractive industries – seen as predatory
* Debt-traps the leveraging of debt to take control of key infrastructure across the globe;
* Employing Chinese nationals in its massive construction projects on the continent.
* Co-opting senior political and military leaders,
* encouraging corruption, weakening accountability, and supporting authoritarian leaders

Question 13

Restoring China as a Great Power

Answer 13

1. Double GDP: Giving them economic power to do their goals
2. Regional/Global Initiative: Maintaining China’s presence and influence in countries
3. Belt and Road Initiative: Eurasian expansion and multi-continent control

Question 14

Soft Power Strategy

Answer 14

is a persuasive approach to international relations which involves use of economic, political values, or cultural influence

Question 15

China’s Grand Strategy

Answer 15

to build on and expand financial reach beyond borders through increased investments by private and public entities
● China infrastructure, manufacturing, and markets
● FOCAC since 2000 to influence African policy making
● Launched surveillance and economic plans in the Africa
● Influences professionals, leaders, educators, and the private sector to grow the local African economy

Question 16

Hard Power Strategy

Answer 16

is a coercive and aggressive approach to international relations that involves military or economic power

Question 17

Power from China

Answer 17

viewed as a set of (material) resources, whereas influence is the tools that help convert an actor’s resources into outcomes.
● China-Africa relations focuses power through the infrastructure construction projects, mining activities, and other material investments
● The railroad built by Chinese entities in Ethiopia is an expression of their “hard” power
● POWER IS A RESOURCE
● Without the economic power they have established, China would be unable to turn this power into influence within Africa

Question 18

Influence from China

Answer 18

having an impact upon another actor’s preferences or
behavior in favor of one’s own aims.
1. The tool of influence is intensification and mutual benefit using policies to generate mutually beneficial outcomes
2. In the second type of influence which the author calls persuasion, preferences don’t always align and are debated or undecided.
– The tool of influence is argumentation and demonstration while the
aim is to assure and convince other actors
3. The third type of influence is coercion; is the ability to prevail in a situation where actors’ preferences are opposed.
– The aim is to ensure that self-interest and preferences are protected by altering other actors’ preferences and behavior.

Question 19

Influence and Power Together

Answer 19

Power is a relational process that produces and is in turn
multiplied through the influence an actor gains from its network of relations and connections.
● So the “hard” power China has leads to their growth and it is then reinforced through “soft” power influence relations
● China-Africa relations go BEYOND material investments and include evolving initiatives that provide training workshops and seminars for thousands of senior party cadres and political elites from across Africa.
– this is known as party-to-party relations

Question 20

Party to Party

Answer 20

• relational network of growth for the African country political system
  strategic relationship where the party of communist China interacts with those in Africa and use their influence to educate and build them up
  ● China treats power and influence not as a as mutually reinforcing processes
  China goes inside the African borders to influence political professionals, leaders, educators, and the private sector to grow the local economy… AND POLITICS IS INFLUENCE

Question 21

People’s Republic of China (PRC) through party-to-party exchanges managed to build bridges of

Answer 21

influence and accumulate social capital, debts, and gratitude with anti-colonial African counterparts
● In more recent decades, the CPC reinvigorated its ties to political parties in Africa through an expansive exchanges and training workshops for party elites.
● This exchange goes from PRC’s United Nations Security Council permanent seat to the statements of support from the African governments endorsing the PRC’s policies in Hong Kong

Question 22

United Front Work Department (UFWD)

Answer 22

comprises a network of civic and business associations, student groups, Chinese-language media, academic institutions, and politicians which is used to intimidate, surveil, and co-opt the overseas Chinese community

Question 23

ID-CPC

Answer 23

provides access to high-level decision-makers in formal government functions, but it also allows for engagement with influential political actors outside the realm of regular foreign affairs diplomacy, such as power-brokers operating behind the scenes or future political leaders

Question 24

Bandung Conference

Answer 24

started the notion for military trainings, medical team visits, and equipment support.
● After this conference, Beijing sent 144 missions to African countries and received 405 African delegations.
● This also led to the decrease of Taiwan influence as this power led 15 African countries to turn to China over Taiwan.
● This has led to the influence of Chinese ideology in educating young Africans in the party system
● Since 2011, Professionalism training to the next generation of African elites
● Example; During the declaration of South Sudan as an independent state, China has offered at least four thousand scholarships and short-term trainings

Question 25

Party-to-Party Goals

Answer 25

Multiple party delegation visits, training seminars attended by ANC (South Africa’s ruling African National Congress) members in China, and youth party member exchanges between the CCP and the ANC
● Increase cooperation between ANC leadership and Shanghai’s China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong.
● Educate fraternal African political parties on China’s experience in economic development and political governance.
● Lessons on how to manage public relations and campaigns during the elections.
● China ranks the closeness of its international partners according to several categories of diplomacy that include strategic partnership, comprehensive strategic partnership, and the highest status which is comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
● The higher the status of relations, the more frequent party-to-party ties are, and the stronger elite exchange programs become.
● The ID-CPC also organizes visits and exchanges with African youth party members and youth delegations