Strengthening the Civil Society Perspective Series II: China and Other Emerging Powers in Africa
The Emerging Powers in Africa Initiative commissioned four research policy reports in June 2010 following the successful completion of the first round of commissioned reports that was undertaken in 2009, culminating in an electronic publication available on the Fahamu website. Understanding that attention towards China’s deepening engagement with Africa should not overshadow the activities of other emerging powers in Africa, including India,Russia, Brazil and South Africa, the four research policy reports sought to develop an African perspective by strengthening the civil society voice in the discourse surrounding the engagement between Africa and these emerging powers.
To this end, the research projects were themed around comparative African perspectives on China and other emerging powers in Africa by providing seed funding to African civil society organisations and activists to undertake research that can contribute to the emerging scholarship on the footprint of the emerging actors in Africa. The completed research reports are available here
China-Africa Trade and Economic Relationship: Annual Report 2010
A report by the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, in cooperation with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, provides an overview of Sino-Africa trade and economic data for 2009 and provides an outlook for relations in 2010. The report is available here.
Strengthening the civil society perspective: China’s African impact
The Fahamu Emerging Powers in Africa Programme held a two-day workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2009 that brought together over 30 Chinese and African academics, researchers and activists to debate and discuss the outcomes of the fourth Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that took place in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, from 8-9 November 2009. During the workshop discussions focused on the six commissioned research reports that the programme made available to nurture the CSO perspective on the Africa-China engagement. Using the FOCAC Summit outcomes as an anchor, participants deliberated on an appropriate framework within which the CSO perspective needs to address the varied impact of China’s footprint in Africa. The completed research reports and workshop summary are available here.
China–Africa dialogue
Much commentary on China in Africa has focused on the vested interests of the West; lost in the debate have been the voices of independent African analysts. In 2007 Fahamu launched the book African Perspectives on China in Africa and helped organise a meeting in Shanghai between African and Chinese civil society organisations. The papers from that conference were published in 2008 under the title China's New Role in Africa and the Global South. Pambazuka will continue to monitor the effects on the environment and sustainability of livelihoods as China and other economic giants become increasingly influential in Africa. Fahamu plans to publish regular Chinese language issues of Pambazuka News, with articles, from Chinese academics and civil society actors. We will do this with a range of partners including China Development Brief, China Academy for the Social Sciences, Moving Mountains (a Chinese civil society organisation) and AFRODAD.
Fahamu's China and Africa programme gave a presentation entitled Africa and the Emerging Powers from the South: China and India at UCT Summer School on 27th January 2009.
Read more about African Perspectives on China in Africa
Read more about China's New Role in Africa and the Global South