CCS in the News

Evaluating China’s FOCAC commitments to Africa and mapping the way ahead

The Centre for Chinese Studies at Stellenbosch University embarked on a research undertaking in 2009 on behalf of the Rockefeller Foundation in New York, USA. The report, now released, aims to investigate emerging trends, opportunities and challenges in China’s engagement with five African countries and two African regional organisations through FOCAC

Titled “Evaluating China’s FOCAC commitments to Africa and mapping the way ahead”, the aim of the research was to provide African stakeholders with accurate information and commentary on the implementation of the commitments made at the 2006 Beijing FOCAC summit in order to improve their preparedness ahead of FOCAC 2009. Based on the field research observations, country specific recommendations are provided seeking to improve the developmental benefits of each country’s relations with China. Field work for the study was carried out from January to August 2009.

Overall, the implementation of the Beijing Action Plan in the five countries is fairly advanced. In the concluding analysis, six issues are identified as pivotal to whether or not Sino-African relations post the 2009 FOCAC meeting will be beneficial for Africa’s peoples. The most important issue pertains to employment equity in the African countries, notably the recruitment of local workers, labour rights and skills development. It is believed that these six issues should be taken into account by all African leaders in order to pave the way for a new Sino-African partnership, beneficial to all Africans.

The CCS Report “Evaluating China’s FOCAC commitments to Africa and mapping the way ahead” can be downloaded in English [here], French [here], Mandarin [here] and Portuguese [here].

For more information on the Report, please contact the CCS by email or telephone (+27 21) 808 2840.

Chinese Companies in the Extractive Industries of Gabon & the DRC: Perceptions of Transparency

August 2009
By: Johanna Jansson, Christopher Burke & Wenran Jiang

The Centre for Chinese Studies at Stellenbosch University embarked on a research undertaking in 2008 and 2009 supported by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and Revenue Watch Institute (RWI). The report, now released, aims to ascertain perceptions held by Chinese stakeholders of African operational environments and transparency in general, and the EITI in particular.

Titled “Chinese Companies in the Extractive Industries of Gabon & the DRC: Perceptions of Transparency”, the report builds on field research conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Gabon in 2008 and 2009. While few of the Chinese company representatives in both Gabon and the DRC consulted for this study were aware of the EITI, all of them expressed great interest in the notion of an overarching transparency initiative. Notably in the DRC, the respondents expressed that poor governance is the single biggest challenge to their operations. It is concluded that implementation of the EITI can indeed be a useful tool to improve the operational environment for African, Chinese and other stakeholders active in Africa’s extractive industries.

Download Full Report: Chinese Companies in the Extractive Industries of Gabon & the DRC: Perceptions of Transparency – August 2009

Out of Africa and into China, emigres struggle

Reuters, 20th August 2009
Quoted: The Centre for Chinese Studies

Guangzhou, China (Reuters) – Sweating heavily and yelling at Chinese police officers, a group of Nigerians dragged the lifeless body of an injured compatriot up to a Guangzhou police station, blood dripping from a deep gash on his head.

Around them, a crowd of over one hundred Africans chanted, some holding sticks as others smashed potted plants and blocked traffic, demanding justice from the Chinese police after officers chased the man out of a high-rise window in a tightening security crackdown on illegal overstayers in the city this year.

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