week 14 Flashcards
surrounding the Cold War/decolonization, China emerged as
a new, alternative partner for Africa. Initially driven by just state policy, relations have evolved to where private ventures are increasingly significant.
-Chinese emigration used to be pretty dependent on CPC policy (historically restrictive), but as it has relaxed, more Chinese emigrate on their own volition
Big D/Little D
Big D as in “third world interventions”/aid, big development projects; little d as in evolution of
capitalism, trading, more on the non-state side of things. The two are intertwined through people, investments, loans, and diplomacy. (reading mentions “no Beijing Consensus,” rejecting the idea that the CPC orchestrates absolutely everything)
-Becoming clear that the behaviour of Chinese migrants and their respective African host communities (local level) matters just as much as high-level govt/diplomatic relations
countries like South Africa, which is a longer-term partner to China, has maintained a
large, increasing population of Chinese migrants. Countries of particular interest like Sudan and Nigeria have seen some of the most drastic increases.
3 main considerations regarding Chinese migration to Africa
- Understanding histories, and how both China and African states have evolved over time/how demands in capitalist world economy shape migration
- Recognition of characteristics of migrants, particularly differences between overseas Chinese populations
- Diasporas generally bound by ethnic “sameness,” but since people settle in different host communities/circumstances, it’s tough to talk about just one single diasporic identity
6 main channels between china and africa
- trade links
- investment flow
- aid
- global institutions
- flow of people
- environmental spillovers
embeddedness
the idea that economic practices are interconnected with social relations. This concept is used to analyze ethnic businesses, who often get labor contracts and more from members of a shared racial or ethnic group
features of migrant’s preferences/migration trajectory
often, Chinese traders are involved in cheap goods and life frugally. Usually, a male family member will migrate to the new host community, and the rest of the family will join as needed, in a form of chain migration. This is changing though, as more people migrate in a commercial form of chain migration, being paid to go abroad to work rather than joining a family member
integration w local communications can be affected by several things
For instance, with more state-backed projects, workers may be living on compounds with little contact with the surrounding African communities. And in general, there are still significant language barriers, as very few Chinese migrants speak local languages, and their English/Portuguese, if any, is limited
issues of trust
Chinese people, in some cases, express a lack of trust for local African labor. In Ghana, for example, the Chinese viewed the locals as unreliable due to absences for funerals and other such cultural events. Still, in certain industries, such as restaurants, the Chinese view hiring locals as beneficial, since they know the customer base better and have insight on markets and culture
links to mainland Chna
internationally, family/personal ties hold private Chinese businesses together, cementing communities through things like social clubs with library groups, gambling, Mandarin newspapers, etc in the host country. This maintains Chinese culture for migrants and their children, as well as links back to mainland China.
-One result of Chinese sometimes keeping more to themselves is they tend to be absent from local politics, with the exception of places like Mauritius with more established diaspora communities. In such places, many Chinese end up seeking citizenship, and some even marry locals
Some things making migrants less embedded
Chinese traders prefer to buy from Chinese wholesalers or directly from Chinese factories and maintain communication with partners back home, but in some cases, flexibility and diversification can lead Chinese merchants to branch out; perhaps moving to a new, more enticing area less connected to the old diaspora communities.
-Also, Chinese migrants may sometimes use African nations as “soft locations,” breaking up their overarching goal of journeying to Western Europe or North America.
Migrants in this category tend to be less imbedded in African economies
Different host countries receive Chinese migrants differently
Ghana seems generally more open, while many in Zambia and Nigeria perceive Chinese migrants to be more of a threat. Perhaps in more open environments, where the Chinese
are able to be imbedded in the local community, they may become more active in local politics over time, whereas they may stay exclusive in environments more hostile to foreigners
the nature of african state formation is crucial
policy, history, and grassroots politics all shape local responses to China and foreigners in general. there is no single African perspective
migrants are granted varying degrees
of rights in their host country
affects their livelihood and connections back home in China.
Chinese migrants’ ability to form relationships with local officials and customs officers is also impactful, since these are the sources through
which they get trading permits. in some cases, Chinese migrants’ dealings with those officials may include more shady business practices, though not outright bribery. In such cases, the Chinese don’t really see it as wrong, but rather a legitimate business practice. Basically, Chinese migrants will work within local laws, but may push the limits in some cases if they see opportunity
African agency in relation to Chinese migrants
South African Trade Union Congress (TUC), which organizes debates surrounding clothing and textile industries
-Uganda, holding local campaign around “unfair” Chinese competition
-Zambia, following the Chambishi mining incident, Civil Society Trade. Network of Zambia accused Chinese firms and urged for change and better enforcement of health and safety standards (this is alongside protests by the public, as well as Michael Sata’s anti-China based campaign)
So while some African governments have previously been “unserious” in their relations with China, many have been increasingly proactive and willing to advocate for local public concerns.
