Africa-China relations: Symmetry and Soft Power

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Africa-China relations Symmetry and Soft Power

• Adams Bodomo
• University of Hong Kong
• abbodomo_at_hku.hk
• Talk at African Studies Institute, Zhejiang
  Normal University, Jinhua, May 14, 2009

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Abstract

• Africa-China relations have not reached an apogee
  but they have gathered steam.
• Two important issues within this steam are
  whether the relationship between the two parts of
  the world is symmetrical or asymmetrical and the
  exact role of soft power in this constellation.
• This paper takes positions in the arguments and
  proposes that prominent economies on the African
  continent such as South Africa have an important
  role to play in ensuring a symmetrical
  relationship in which Africa can also take part
  in a symmetrical cultural diplomacy with China,
  such as in the setting up of Mandela Institutes
  in China.

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Content

• 1. Introduction
• 2. A Golden Era of Africa-China relations
• 3. Is the Relationship Asymmetrical?
• 4. Soft power
• 5. The Role of South Africa and others
• 6. Conclusion

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1. Introduction

• When exactly did Africa-China relations begin?
• The travels of Admiral Zhang He of Yunnan in the
  Ming dynasty (in the 1400s) to Africa
• The Bandung conference of 1955
• Whatever
• Africa-China relations have suddenly gathered
  steam within the last 10 years
• High-level travels by Chinese leaders to African
  capitals and high level travels by African
  leaders to Beijing
• Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)

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Questions

• Why is it that this relationship has all of a
  sudden gathered momentum? What are the major
  issues involved in this momentum?
• Who is driving the relationship? Are there equal
  benefits or is the relationship skewed in an
  asymmetrical fashion to the benefit of one
  partner over the other?
• If there is this tendency how can one redress
  this? What is the role of soft power or cultural
  diplomacy as a solution to this?

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2. A Golden Era of Africa-China relations

• Three main facts indicate that Africa-China
  relations have begun a golden era.
• 1. Very high level political visits and meeting
  at ministerial and even Head of State level
  involving the Chinese and African governments
• 2. Trade has increased to such an extent that
  China is now the third largest trading partner to
  Africa
• 3. Rapid establishment of African and Chinese
  migrant communities on both continents (Large
  ,2008 Bertoncello and Bredeloup, 2007 Bodomo,
  2007a, 2007b 2008 Li, 2007)

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3. Is the Relationship Asymmetrical?

• Africa-China relations are asymmetrical in favour
  of China esp from Western sources
• Asymmetrical nomenclature
• Trade, economic and investment asymmetry
• Political asymmetry?

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Asymmetrical nomenclature

• CNKI (29th October 2008)
• Africa-China ("feizhongguanxi") No paper
• China-Africa ("zhongfeiguanxi") 336 papers (from
  1979-2008)
• ISI (30th October)
• Africa-China No paper
• China-Africa One paper (Large 2008)
• SCOPUS (30th October)
• Africa-China One paper (Anonymous, 1976)
• China-Africa Four papers (George 1965, King
  2007, Naidu 2007 and Large 2007)

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Trade, economic and investment asymmetry

• China (along with India for that matter) invests
  more in Africa than Africa invests in China
  (Broadman, 2007)
• Broadman cautions It is imperative that both
  sides of this promising South-South economic
  relations address asymmetries and obstacles to
  its continuous expansion through reforms.
• I argue that this purported asymmetry is rather
  exaggerated.

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Political asymmetry?

• It is sometimes argued that because China is a
  huge country with a large population of more than
  1.3 billion, its relations with an Africa
  fragmented into 50 plus nations is necessarily
  and logically asymmetrical?
• Not necessarily
• Despite having 53 independent countries, African
  countries often vote mostly en bloc on topical
  international issues.
• E.g. China got the Beijing Olympics awarded it
  because of an en bloc vote by Africa during the
  IOC decision-making process.

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Political asymmetry?

• Counter-argument
• Africa-China relations are asymmetrical in favour
  of Africa on the political front because of
  Africas massive voting clout at the UN and other
  international bodies like the IOC and the WTO
• In terms of geopolitics Africa wields some
  considerable political power that China even
  benefits from, just as Africa benefits from
  Chinas economic aid and investments in Africa

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4. Soft Power

• As Dr Liu Haifang of the Chinese Academy of
  Social Science has succinctly captured in an
  excellent article (Liu 2008), soft power is the
  term that Chinese scholars tend to prefer to use
  as a designation for cultural diplomacy which is
  defined as ...that aspect of diplomacy that
  involves a governments efforts to transmit its
  national culture to foreign publics with the goal
  of bringing about an understanding of national
  ideals and institutions as part of a larger
  attempt to build support for political and
  economic goals. (Maack 2001 3, quoted in Liu
  2008)
• Western commentators prefer to use the term
  charm offensive (Kurlantzick 2007)

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Confucius Institutes

• A prominent feature of Chinas cultural diplomacy
  or soft power
• More than 20 such institutes out of 300 worldwide
  have been opened or will soon be opened
  throughout Africa which teach Chinese language
  and culture.
• This focus helps Africa-China relations to move
  away from the skewed economic focus
• But there is a danger of creating an asymmetry if
  Africa does nothing in return
• Where is Africas diplomatic policy towards
  China?
• What role can South Africa as Africas most
  advanced economy play in the search for a
  symmetry in Africa-China relations?

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5. The Role of South Africa

• South Africa is already playing a leading role in
  advancing Africa-China relations only after 10
  years of diplomatic relations with Beijing, since
  January 1998.
• A little known fact South African firms have
  been more successful in penetrating the Chinese
  markets than Chinese firms in establishing
  themselves on the South African market.

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• The following report by the China Business
  Frontier (April 2008) newsletter testifies to
  this
• What followed (since the start of diplomatic
  relations in January 1998) was an initial rush of
  Chinese investment into the countryHowever, a
  general lack of local market knowledge,
  inexperienced management and a vastly different
  business culture all contributed to failure of
  these companies.

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• The paper continues
• In contrast, South African corporations have
  been extremely successful in penetrating the
  often challenging China market. A handful of
  firms have been industry shapers in the Chinese
  economy after entering the market in 1994, SAB
  Miller became the largest brewer by volume in
  China last year, Naspers is a leading media
  player and Sasol could soon become the single
  largest investor in China if it goes ahead with
  two coal-to-liquid gas projects in China.

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Mandela Institutes

• African countries should aim at setting up
  African Cultural Institutions in China
• For South Africa, I propose that the most apt
  designation should be the Mandela Institute
• Teaching South African languages and cultures and
  spreading Mandelas policy of rapproachment
  between races and all peoples of the world
• African governments can collaborate with Chinese
  government and Chinese Universities to promote
  African Studies by setting up MoUs.
• The new University of Hong Kong African Studies
  Programme (www.hku.hk/AfricanStudies) and similar
  programmes in mainland China have an important
  role to play given the right intergovernmental
  support.

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6. Conclusion

• Two important notions within contemporary
  Africa-China relations
• symmetry and soft power
• I have argued that the notion that Africa-China
  relations are asymmetrical in favour of China is
  a largely exaggerated notion
• Instead, I have shown that the relationship is
  thus largely symbiotic and mutually beneficial
• Africa has shown enough political muscle to
  counterbalance international decisions in favour
  of China
• China is helping Africa through aid and
  favourable investments
• Soft power or cultural diplomacy offers a
  promising path to an equilibrium
• South Africa has an important role to play in
  ensuring a symmetrical relationship.

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References

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