The Centre for Chinese Studies has been involved in a number of research undertakings. More information on these can be found below:

2008

February

How China delivers development assistance to Africa
by Dr Martyn Davies
with Hannah Edinger, Nastasya Tay & Sanusha Naidu

China's "new foray" into Africa is attracting wide international attention and contentious debate. China is seemingly engaging Africa on new terms – terms that are not shaped by traditional powers or perhaps not even by Africans themselves. It brings a new model that the author has termed China's "coalition engagements" in Africa – a collaborative state-business approach to foreign policy. China's foreign aid forms an integral component of this model.

The Centre for Chinese Studies at Stellenbosch University embarked on this research project, supported by the Department for International Development UK (DFID), to gather information and gain insight into China's aid policies vis-à-vis Africa. The research is intended to inform both Chinese and traditional donor efforts toward thecontinent.

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2007

November

China's Engagement of Africa: Preliminary Scoping of African case studies
Angola, Ethiopia, Gabon, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia
by Christopher Burke, Lucy Corkin and Nastasya Tay

The People's Republic of China (PRC ) has become an important and influential player in Africa. This report  is a preliminary study of China's engagement profile in six key African countries, with a view to identifying the extent to which African policymakers can influence China's engagement of the continent. The study took the form of a scoping exercise relying on original research that was gathered through fieldwork, as well as interviews with key persons in civil society and Chinese and African Government representatives in each of the countries covered.

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Paper prepared for Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS), South Africa

The China-Australia Free-Trade Negotiations: Implications for South Africa by Thomas Orr
This paper is a comparative study of Australia’s engagement of China in an FTA, and what lessons may be drawn from the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of this process that are relevant to the South African experience.

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2006

November: DFID Report

"China's Interest and Activity in Africa's Construction and Infrastructure Sectors"
A research undertaking evaluating China's involvement in the construction and infrastructure sector of four African states by Lucy Corkin and Christopher Burke.

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The Centre for Chinese Studies' primary research focus is the role of China in the African context and its economic and political implications. The Centre has been involved in a number of research projects covering a wide range of related topics. Some of these are listed below.


FOCAC Project
The CCS recently embarked on a project commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation to evaluate the implementation of the commitments made at the previous FOCAC Summit, and assist with the preparation of African governments and Regional Economic Communities for the next FOCAC meeting to be held in Cairo, in 2009. Research and training workshops will be carried out in Angola, Botswana, DRC, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda.

The Relevance of Chinese Agricultural Technologies for African Smallholder Farmers
As part of a broader study examining the “Relevance of Chinese Agricultural Technologies for African Smallholder Farmers”, commissioned by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Centre for Chinese Studies formed part of the consulting team evaluating the Chinese agricultural sector and technological progress in this sector in particular. The research is aimed to better understand and research different Chinese agricultural technologies and the relevance of these to African farmers in specific case studies to facilitate opportunities for mutual benefit and cooperation in the agricultural sector between China and Africa.
                                                                 
EITI Project
The Centre for Chinese Studies is currently implementing a project commissioned by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and the Revenue Watch Institute (RWI) to examine the involvement of Chinese companies in extractive industries in Gabon and the DRC and looking at the formulation of China's energy policy.

UNCTAD World Investment Report 2008
The UNCTAD World Investment Report 2008 titled "Transnational Corporations and the Infrastructure Challenge" was released in September 2008. The CCS contributed to the publication through the mapping of various Chinese and Indian infrastructure projects in Africa, providing background information pertaining to China’s engagement in Africa and investment trends of multinationals from South Africa, China and other emerging markets into Sub-Saharan Africa.

South Africa’s agricultural trading relationship with China
The Centre for Chinese Studies together with the Trade Law Centre of Southern Africa (tralac) in March 2008 completed a study commissioned by the Nordic Africa Institute in Sweden, evaluating China’s trading relationship with South Africa. The study focuses specifically on the agricultural trading relationship and provides an overview of non-tariff barriers to trade for South African agricultural exporters to China. A follow-up to the study examines non-tariff measures inhibiting South African exports to China and India, and is available here.

Scoping Studies on China-Africa Economic Relations
The CCS successfully completed three scoping studies for the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), findings of which were presented in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in December 2007. The scoping studies on China-Africa economic relations, which brought together several research institutions, analysed China’s trade, investment and aid relationship with a number of African economies. The Centre focused on the country case studies Angola, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The scoping studies serve as initial research for further in-depth studies into select African economies’ relationship with China.

Nedlac SACU-China Research
The Centre for Chinese Studies forms part of the consortium that was awarded the NEDLAC tender for trade research into the proposed SACU-China free trade agreement. The research period was from November 2005 to March 2006. As part of this process, the Director of the CCS was nominated to serve on SACOB's Working Group Committee on the SACU-China free trade agreement. The CCS conducted research on the trade and industrial strategies of the PRC. Findings were submitted to the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) for preparation toward negotiations with the Chinese Government.

The political relationship between South Africa and China
The Centre for Chinese Studies seeks to serve the interests and needs of the South African Government vis-à-vis its relationship with the People's Republic of China. The CCS has regular interaction with the Chinese and South African governments.

Asian Drivers Research Project
The CCS is currently part of the Asian Drivers Research Project examining the impact of China and India in Sub-Saharan Africa. The project is an initiative undertaken by the African Economic Research Consortium which brings together several research institutions to assess the opportunities and challenges the rise of China and India represent to Africa's development. The Centre's role in this project is to focus on the infrastructural impact of China and India's engagement in Africa.