African Perspectives on China - Africa Links Forthcoming in China Quarterly, Summer, 2009

African Perspectives on China-Africa LinksForthcoming in China Quarterly, Summer, 2009

Destruction of African industry and exports Gratuitous use of home country labor; Poor health, safety and environmental standards Racism among Chinese Provision of arms and political support to the continent’s dictators and genocidaires.

Surveys: African’s Perception of China-Africa Links • Surveys by US polling groups among Africans • A survey by Cameroon researchers. • A survey of 2,000+ university students and faculty in nine African countries and Tianjin, China.

Our Findings: Africans are • Not nearly as negative about China and Chinese people as Western media portrays • Mostly positive about China/Africa links • More positive about these links than about links with the US. The Main Influences • Africans own national political struggles • Western media influence in their countries.

Pew Global Attitudes Survey： 2007, More favorable views of China in Africa than in any other region. • Nigeria - favorable to China: 59% in 2006 75% in 200779% in 2008 • Five of the seven countries most positive about Chinese economic influence were African 2008, Sub-Saharan Africa most positive about China • 87% of Nigerians, 77% of Tanzanians and 53% of S. Africans positive about Chinese economic influence

Gallup Survey: Cameroons Research: • 70% disturbed by Chinese migration, but • 92% accept that China helps Cameroon’s economy • 81% say they welcome Chinese products 2006,Chad 2007, Sudan

Survey of African Students and Faculty Largely favorable to links with China; Chinese policies in Africa as more beneficial than those of Western countries.

Table 1: For your country, is China's path of development Except in South Africa, majorities in all countries viewed China’s development as a positive model

Table 2: How much of China’s and Africa’s interests are in common Ethiopian, Sudanese, and Kenyan perceived China has most, many or some common interests with Africa. S. Africans, Batswana, and Egyptians were least enthusiastic. Half of Zambian respondents saw most, many or some common interests with China; those who saw few or none often cited a fear of China reducing its population by sending migrants to Africa and/ or cultural differences, mainly a Chinese habit of keeping to themselves

Table 3: China is just in Africa for natural resources Zambia and Sudan top the list in strongly agreeing or agreeing that China is only interested in Africa’s natural resources, followed by Ethiopia and Botswana. Responses from Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria are divided between agree, disagree and neutral/don’t know, but few S. Africans agree.

Table 4: For Africa, China’s policy of "non-interference“ In each country, more people strongly approve or approve of “non-interference” than strongly disapprove or disapprove.

Table 5: My view of Chinese doing small business in my country is Most respondents viewed Chinese small business as providing help or problematic help to local economic development

Table 6: China's policies in the continent In seven of the nine countries -- the exceptions are Botswana and Zambia -- more people view China’s policies in Africa as generally or somewhat beneficial than otherwise

Table 7: China's policies in Africa compared with Western policies In all countries, more people view China’s policies in Africa as much more or somewhat more beneficial than Western policies

Table 8: Satisfaction with Chinese companies that work on large projects in my country In all countries more people feel very satisfied or satisfied than dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with Chinese projects

Table 9: Adaption of Chinese to the local society, compared to Westerners all countries except Zambia had more respondents who perceive Chinese as much more or somewhat more adapted than Westerners to local societies

Table 10: What is your impression of the Chinese present in your country? Majorities in all countries are impressed by Chinese as hardworking

Table 11: What effect do you think China as a rising power will have on Africa? All nine countries have more people who think the rise of China as potentially very beneficial or beneficial to Africa than otherwise

Table 12: Some people say China practices neo-colonialism in Africa More people in Botswana, Zambia, and Egypt agree or strongly agree than disagree or strongly disagree that China practices neocolonialism in Africa. In six other countries, more disagree with this view.

Table 13: Some people say increased Chinese migration would benefit Africa Note that the question is put in terms of increased Chinese migration; those who disagree with that may still be fine with current levels of Chinese migration

In 9 African Countries: In Tianjin, China: • Slightly less positive • Variation mainly comes from country, not demographic differences • Most consistently positive: Sudan, Ghana, Ethiopia and Kenya • Most negative: Botswana and Zambia • In between: Nigeria, Egypt, and S. Africa.

Zambia Botswana Opposition Patriotic Front’s anti-Chinese campaign 2006 -- The University of Zambia as opposition stronghold Zambian media heavily relies on Western media Botswana National Front and Botswana Congress Party MPs single out Chinese The University of Botswana faculty support for BNF Newspapers in Botswana owned or managed by whites with UK & SA ties

Sudan • $8 billion Chinese investment in energy industry 100,000 jobs in the energy sector 50% revenues to the Sudan government • Sale of armsby China criticized in Darfur, but not generally in Sudan • Less influence by Western media • No sustained critique of China by opposition

Conclusion Western media representations of strong African resentment of China or Chinese not proved More appreciation of China’s role in Africa than Western role Future research: a wider range of countries and panel data with multiple dimensions over time Knowing African perspectives now essential to understanding China’s place in the world.

African Perspectives on China - Africa Links Forthcoming in China Quarterly, Summer, 2009