In the present 21st century the global distribution of power among countries seems to be changing. While since World War I predominantly the United States of America have begun to gain worldwide importance especially politically and economically, it is currently experiencing a slow loss of power due to a number of reasons. One of such is the development in Asia towards economic liberalization and linked with it the rise of China. In particular after the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, the Asian country has introduced several reforms under its new political leader Deng Xiaoping that led to ongoing fast economic growth until today. Together with the increasing economic strength China aims for more international influence and recognition as a world power. A demonstration of such claim could be seen in the media on October 1st 2009 when China was celebrating the 60th anniversary of the finding of its People’s Republic in the form of the biggest military parade ever.
In order to turn this signal of a new global distribution of power into reality, China can not solely rely on a strong economy but needs to establish international political ties too. One reason concerns the geological structure of the largest Asian country because it can be considered to be poor in natural resources. As a result it needs to secure its economy by importing those and hence in the search for international partners it decided to focus also on the African continent.
While in the beginning of the 20th century the European hegemony was unbowed in Africa and no country could withstand the traded goods from Europe this development changed drastically just six decades later. The former European dominance on the African continent yielded a rise in influence from other countries like China and India. Or more generally in the words of a Financial Times reporter: “Europe was the past, the US is the present and a China-dominated Asia the future of the global economy.” If this quotation will come true remains to be seen, but China is certainly working towards that goal and among other things the (re)establishment of close relations with many African states is one part of the current governmental strategy.
The following master thesis shall be devoted to the phenomenon of China’s return to the African continent since the mid 1990’s. The research question which shall be answered at the end is “what is the impact of China’s engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa with a country focus.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Research methodology
2 Literature survey
2.1 Trade theories – Reasons pro trade
2.1.1 Adam Smith – Absolute advantage
2.1.2 Ricardo – Comparative advantage
2.1.3 Heckscher – Ohlin theory
2.1.4 Krugman – New trade theory
2.1.5 Porter’s diamond
2.2 Investment theories
2.2.1 Product life cycle theory
2.2.2 Oligopolistic reaction theory
2.2.3 O-L-I paradigm
2.2.4 Overview of study results about FDI
2.2.5 Theoretical gain through FDI
3 China’s early reach out to Africa
3.1 Beginning of the Sino African relations
3.2 Sino – African relations from 1949 – 1989
3.2.1. Chinese Diplomacy serving ideological aims
3.2.2. Chinese Diplomacy serving political aims
3.2.3. Setback in Chinese struggle for Africa in the late 1960’s and the revival in the 1970’s
3.2.4. Begin of a new political era after Mao Zedong’s death
3.2.5. Tiananmen and its impact on the Sino African relationship
3.3 Development aid as a political instrument from 1950’s – 1990’s
4 China and it’s return to Africa
4.1 Overview of the Asian giant
4.2 Impression of Africa’s macro environment
4.3 China’s political cooperation with Africa
4.4 China’s developmental cooperation with Africa
4.4.1 China’s position in the international aid system
4.4.2 Different types of development aid and its amplitude
4.4.3 Is China stimulating “bad governance” in Africa?
4.5 China’s economical cooperation with Africa
4.5.1 Trade with Africa
4.5.2 Financing and investing practices in Africa
4.5.3 Migration into Africa
5 China’s influence in Nigeria
5.1 Country profile of Nigeria
5.2 China’s political relations with Nigeria
5.3 China’s development aid relations with Nigeria
5.4 China’s economic relations with Nigeria
5.4.1 Trade with Nigeria
5.4.2 Financing and investment practices in Nigeria
5.4.3 Migration into Nigeria
5.5 Analysis of primary research results
6 Evaluation of China’s presence in southern Africa
6.1 Analysis of the Sino-African relationship
6.2 Recommendations
7 Conclusion
8 List of literature
Objectives & Research Focus
The dissertation investigates the evolving impact of Chinese engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a specific analytical focus on Nigeria, by examining the political, development aid, and economic dimensions of this relationship from the post-World War II era to the present day.
- Historical context of Sino-African relations from the 8th century to modern times.
- Political motives driving China’s foreign policy and influence in Africa.
- Assessment of Chinese development aid as a strategic political instrument.
- Economic analysis of trade flows, foreign direct investment (FDI), and resource exploitation.
- Primary empirical research regarding local Nigerian perceptions of Chinese influence.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 Research methodology
With reference to the old proverb “Well begun is half done”, it is essential to think about the research approach and the method at the beginning of the thesis. Since there are a variety of strategies available the selection depends on parameters like the type of research question, the overall objective, the available amount of time and other resources as money for instance. Beyond, there are two main approaches of reasoning in research, the deductive and inductive method. By applying the former one the researcher is moving from general observations to more specific ones whereas the base of the inductive technique are particular observations on a small scale that if a pattern can be found would lead to broader generalizations or the formulation of a theory. Informally speaking one could call the deductive method a “top-down” approach while its counterpart process is a “bottom-up” one.
Some of the available research methods are experiments, action research, grounded theory, ethnography, archival research, surveys or case studies. With each of these, potential researchers pursue different intentions. The aim is now to highlight the main characteristics in order to find the appropriate strategy which helps to answer the research question of “what is the impact of China’s engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa with a country focus on Nigeria?”. For this key task it shall once again be emphasized that the analysis of why China is focusing on Africa particularly from a political, development aid plus economical view or in other words the examination of the three research objectives is indispensable.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the shifting global power dynamics and outlines the thesis objective of analyzing China’s engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa with a focus on Nigeria.
2 Literature survey: Examines foundational trade and investment theories, including models by Smith, Ricardo, and Dunning, to provide an academic basis for analyzing international relations.
3 China’s early reach out to Africa: Details the historical evolution of Sino-African relations, highlighting key political and ideological shifts from the early contacts through the Cold War period.
4 China and it’s return to Africa: Analyzes the contemporary return of China to the African continent, focusing on current political strategies, development aid, and economic cooperation.
5 China’s influence in Nigeria: Investigates the specific impact of Chinese activities in Nigeria, incorporating a country profile, economic data, and primary survey research.
6 Evaluation of China’s presence in southern Africa: Evaluates the overall effectiveness and implications of Chinese engagement, offering strategic recommendations for future cooperation.
7 Conclusion: Summarizes the key findings regarding the political, development aid, and economic dimensions of Chinese engagement in Africa.
8 List of literature: Compiles all academic and secondary sources utilized in the research project.
Keywords
China, Africa, Nigeria, Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, Development Aid, Trade Theories, Resource Exploitation, Geopolitics, Sino-African Relations, Infrastructure Projects, Economic Development, South-South Cooperation, Primary Research, Case Study.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research project?
The project analyzes the impact of China's recent engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa, specifically investigating the political, developmental, and economic effects on the region, using Nigeria as a primary country case study.
What are the central themes examined in the thesis?
The central themes include the historical evolution of Sino-African diplomacy, the use of development aid as a tool for securing natural resources, trends in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and the socio-economic implications for African nations.
What is the primary research question?
The core research question is: "What is the impact of China’s engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa with a country focus on Nigeria?"
Which research methodology does the author employ?
The author uses a deductive approach within a single descriptive case study framework, combining an extensive literature review with primary qualitative research conducted through an online questionnaire distributed to individuals with ties to Nigeria.
What topics are discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body covers international trade theories (Smith, Ricardo, Porter), the historical progression of Chinese foreign policy (from ideology to pragmatism), the specifics of Chinese development aid (the "Angola Mode"), and a deep dive into the Nigerian market.
How would you characterize the key concepts?
The work is defined by concepts such as resource security, the "one-China policy," infrastructure-for-resource financing, and the balance between short-term economic gains and long-term sustainable development.
What does the author reveal about the "Angola Mode"?
The "Angola Mode" refers to a financing scheme where the repayment of infrastructure loans provided by China is linked directly to natural resource exports, such as oil, creating a unique, commodity-backed credit cycle.
How is the Chinese approach to infrastructure projects viewed by the author?
The author highlights that while these projects address critical regional bottlenecks, they often require the participation of Chinese firms and equipment, which can limit the transfer of technical know-how to local African enterprises and create dependencies.
What is the author's conclusion regarding the primary survey results?
The primary research shows that Nigerian respondents generally view political relations with China as positive, while their views on economic interactions and the impact of Chinese migration are mixed, often reflecting concerns over labor conditions and product quality.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Christian Baumann (Autor:in), 2010, The impact of the Chinese engagement in southern Africa with a country focus on Nigeria, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/156469
