Charting the Roots of Anti-Chinese Populism in Africa

166 Pages·2015·1.66 MB·English

by  Steve Hess

The Political Economy of the Asia Pacific
Steve Hess
Richard Aidoo
Charting the Roots
of Anti-Chinese
Populism in Africa
The Political Economy of the Asia Pacifi c
Series Editor
Vinod K. Aggarwal
More information about this series at h ttp://www.springer.com/series/7840

Steve Hess • Richard Aidoo
Charting the Roots
of Anti- Chinese Populism
in Africa
Steve Hess Richard Aidoo
University of Bridgeport Coastal Carolina University
Bridgeport , CT , USA Conway , SC , USA
ISSN 1866-6507 ISSN 1866-6515 (electronic)
The Political Economy of the Asia Pacifi c
ISBN 978-3-319-17628-4 ISBN 978-3-319-17629-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-17629-1
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015943311
Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015
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To our children: Adaline Hess,
Joel and Jairus Aidoo.

Contents
1 The Changing Shades of China–Africa Relations
in the Twenty-First Century: Different Regimes,
Non-interference, and Anti-Chinese Populism in Africa ...................... 1
1.1 Patterns and Variations in African Public Opinion Towards China .... 4
1.2 Complementary and Competing Economic Relations ....................... 12
1.3 Regimes and Political Opportunities ................................................. 15
Part I Open and Electoral Democratic Regimes
2 King Cobra and the Rise of Anti-Chinese Populism in Zambia ........... 25
2.1 The Political Landscape ..................................................................... 26
2.2 Chinese Involvement in Zambia ........................................................ 32
3 The Politics and Economics of Democracy and Anti-Chinese
Sentiment in Ghana .................................................................................. 41
3.1 Political Economic Development ....................................................... 42
3.2 China in Ghana: An Evolution of Interests ........................................ 47
3.3 Anti-Chinese Sentiment in Ghana ..................................................... 50
4 The Contours of Complexity Between China and South Africa ........... 57
4.1 South Africa’s Celebrated Political Evolution ................................... 58
4.2 Chinese Involvement in South Africa ................................................ 64
4.3 Popular Reactions to Chinese Engagement ....................................... 69
Part II Closed Authoritarian Regimes
5 The Political Staleness of China–Ethiopia Relations ............................. 79
5.1 The Political Landscape ..................................................................... 80
5.2 Chinese Involvement in Ethiopia ....................................................... 85
5.3 Popular Reactions to Chinese Engagement ....................................... 92
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viii Contents
6 Oil and Authoritarianism: The Sino-Angolan Relationship ................. 109
6.1 The Political Landscape ..................................................................... 110
6.2 Chinese Involvement in Angola ......................................................... 115
6.3 Popular Reactions to Chinese Engagement ....................................... 122
7 Conclusion: Anti-Chinese Populism and the Emergence
of China’s Adaptive Engagement with Africa ........................................ 133
7.1 Beijing’s Foreign Policy in Africa’s Changing
Political Landscape ............................................................................ 136
7.2 Ghana ................................................................................................. 139
7.3 South Africa ....................................................................................... 141
7.4 Angola ................................................................................................ 144
7.5 Ethiopia .............................................................................................. 146
7.6 Zambia ............................................................................................... 149
7.7 Concluding Remarks .......................................................................... 152
Abbreviations
ANC African National Congress
BRICS Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa
CASA Chinese Association of South Africa
CDB China Development Bank
CELU Confederation of Ethiopian Labor Unions
CIF China International Fund
CNMC China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group
CNOOC China Offshore Oil Corporation
COPWE Commission for Organizing the Party of the Working People of
Ethiopia
CCP Chinese Communist Party
CPP Convention People’s Party
CUD Coalition for Unity and Democracy
ELF Eritrean Liberal Front
EPLF Eritrean Popular Liberation Front
EPRDF Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front
ERP Economic Recovery Program
FNLA National Liberation Front of Angola
FOCAC Forum on China Africa Cooperation
FDD Forum for Democratic Development
GNPC Ghana National Petroleum Corporation
GIPC Ghana Investment Promotion Council
HIPC Heavily Indebted Poor Countries
IFIs International Financial Institutions
IFP Inkatha Freedom Party
MEISON All-Ethiopia Socialist Movement
MMD Movement for Multi-Party Democracy
MPLA Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola
NCP National Congress Party
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