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China in Africa. Christine Avenarius, PhD Department of Anthropology, East Carolina University. Anthropology. Biological Anthropology Archaeology Linguistic Anthropology Cultural Anthropology Why do people do what they do? Understanding others from their point of view
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China in Africa Christine Avenarius, PhD Department of Anthropology, East Carolina University
Anthropology • Biological Anthropology • Archaeology • Linguistic Anthropology • Cultural Anthropology • Why do people do what they do? • Understanding others from their point of view • Participant observation as the framework of learning about others
China in Africa • Who are the Chinese in Africa? • Why are the Chinese in Africa? • What do local people think about the Chinese in Africa? • What should the US make of the presence of the Chinese in Africa? Why are some observers upset?
Which China? Which Africa? China Africa 1.3 billion people 1 billion people 1 state 54 states 363 people/ sq.mile 80 people/ sq.mile
Which Africa? Colonial Africa ca. 1920 Africa in 2006
Which Africa? • Africa today: • creative entrepreneurs • new elites • emerging middle classes
EU and US opinions • China is predatory • China is displacing African industries • China is embedding Africa in relations of dependencies • Neo-colonialism ?
Which countries in Africa? A selection: Angola, Nigeria, Sudan Zambia Ghana, Tanzania Namibia Note: Many African traders live in China (South China is home to “Africatowns”)
History of China in Africa relations 1890s: railroad workers in South Africa 1950s: beginning of courtship to win votes from African nation-states to secure a UN seat 1960s: aid to emerging African nation-states
… history… • 1970 to 1975: building the TAZARA railway
… history • 1978/1983: “Opening up” policy • economic reforms in China • Pragmatism towards Africa • Need to establish a win-win cooperation with African nation-states • 1995: “Going out” policy • every upstanding Chinese citizen can obtain a a passport • encouragement of economic cooperation • “footnote:” international community begins to take note in 2006
China’s foreign policy since the 1990s Strategies promoted by Deng Xiaoping: • Observe calmly • Secure our position • Cope with affairs calmly • Hide our capacities and bide our time • Be good at maintaining a low profile • Never claim leadership • Make some contributions
The “cliff notes” on China’s policy • No interference • No attachment to conditions build economic infrastructure, but stay away from influencing political structures
“You don't know how much we can love you, provided you don't try to tell us what to do. You cannot impose your culture on me. But if you respect my culture and if you try to be good to me and really think in terms of the human side of me, we'll be ready to stand on your side, you know.“ (Namibian citizen)
Who are the Chinese in Africa? • Government officials • Para-statal companies building infrastructure, mining facilities, oil refineries • Private entrepreneurs • large private construction companies • small business owners • street vendors • transient migrants (by way of Europe or on the way towards Europe/US)
How many Chinese? No official figures available Chinese government is not able to provide numbers for private Chinese entrepreneurs either Depends on country and projects • Nigeria: up to 50 000 Chinese? • Angola: up to10 000 Chinese? • Sudan: up to 10 000 Chinese? 2000 registered private enterprises in 2010
Construction companies and Oil refineries • Chinese laborers live in separate camps from locals
Agricultural land grabs? • no substantial evidence • compare to other countries and other purchases
Why are the Chinese in Africa? At the corporate level: • pragmatic cooperation for mutual benefits • to advance Africa’s socioeconomic development • to secure China’s access to vital resources South-South Alliances
Why are the Chinese in Africa? At the private entrepreneur level: • Limited economic opportunities in China • Crowded living conditions in China • Sons need funds for a house to woe a wife • The Chinese dream: from rags to riches • African nation-states are s “lands of opportunity”
What do Chinese and local people think about each other? • Mutual admiration • Mutual loathing
Mutual admiration • Residents of Africa: • Young people enjoy martial arts • General public admires efficiency, work ethnic, simple lifestyles • Chinese people: • Admire the beauty and vastness of the land • Magnificence of animals
Mutual loathing Racist attitudes on both sides • Chinese say: • locals are lazy • locals focus on presence, not future • government officials extort money • Feizhou = negative continent
Mutual loathing • Locals say: • Chinese people are hoarding our resources • Chinese people sell low quality goods and build low quality buildings/roads • Chinese people don’t train local workers and don’t comply with labor laws and regulations • Chinese people don’t invest in local economy (e.g. banking)
Namibia 2. 1 million people numerous ethnic groups 7% white people Languages: English Afrikaans German ethnic languages
Ethnographic Fieldwork • Short time period: 6 weeks • Observation (no participation) • Archival data: newspaper clippings • Interviews • Informal interviews: 54 (and 4 key informants) • Semi-structured interviews: 51 • Structured interviews using props: 14
Unstructured interviews Semi-structured interviews
Findings • Black Namibians (Ovambo, Herero, Damara, Nama) own few retail shops • Chinatown is a retail ghetto • Construction companies dominate public opinion and awareness • Black elite considers Chinese as “honorary blacks” • Government disconnected from public opinion
Findings regarding Chinese migrants • Very little opportunity for interaction beyond business transactions • Construction workers are completely isolated • Very little English skills (even less Afrikaans or indigenous languages) • Early migrants are successful as brokers
… findings on Chinese migrants • Differences between younger and older Chinese (40 years of age is the threshold) in opinions about business strategies • Chinese migrants feel harassed by government officials • Chinese migrants have established very few visible community organizations for themselves • Socializing takes place in online communities
Findings regarding Namibians • White business owners are impressed by Chinese work ethic and benefit from the business of construction companies • Employees of big Namibian corporations are disturbed about Chinese working conditions and competition • Newspapers promote negative stereotypes about Chinese companies. • Lower class and middle class Namibians are not well informed
… findings regarding Namibians • Black and Colored Namibians appreciate the shopping opportunities • “Chinese Dollar stores” offer an alternative to South African owned chain stores • Consuming is the new past-time…
What makes Chinese successful? • Willing to “eat bitterness” • Willing to “do what it takes” • Creative economics: circumventing regulations • Live like the local people • Efficient and effective • Playing local people against each other
What connects Chinese and Africans? • Kinship orientation • Hierarchical view of social relationships • humans are not considered equal • networking and reliance on “key people” • Both cultural groups that interact are unable to say “no” • Similar decision making strategies: • Palaver (Africa) and Consensus (China)
China and many African nation-states share(d) structural similarities • Need for reform in light of Euro-American industrialization and economic advantage • Large proportions of poor citizens • Early statehood characterized by: • reliance on agriculture, lack of industry • Need for infrastructure • Tight connection between state and economic interests Advancement of the interests of the state at the expense of ordinary people
Is ‘neo-colonialism’ a good label? • China accepts the sovereignty of African nation-states • China is not on a mission to convert African nation states to their point of view • China is more interested in Africans as consumers than as laborers Postcolonial interdependency (though economically imbalanced)
“Africa and China are the most unequal equals.” Julius Nyerere (1922 to 1999) President of Tanzania (1964 to 1985)
China prefers bilateral engagement and avoids multilateral agreements • China wants to secure its investments • Although China doesn’t practice ethnocentrism, many Chinese people have a sense of cultural superiority
What should the US make of the presence of Chinese in Africa? • Establishing personal relationships matters • China is not going to “take over”… • … but China is not limiting its activities either • China is becoming an important global player Engage with China
'I'll love you, dear, I'll love you Till China and Africa meet, And the river jumps over the mountain And the salmon sing in the street Source: W. H. Auden (third verse of his poem “As I walked out one evening,” published in 1940).
