Policy Briefings (Centre for Chinese Studies)

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Browsing Policy Briefings (Centre for Chinese Studies) by Author "Grimm, Sven"

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    The China-African Development Fund (CADFund) as a sovereign wealth fund for Africa’s development
    (Stellenbosch University, Centre for Chinese Studies, 2013-07) Grimm, Sven; Schickerling, Elizabeth
    The China-Africa Development Fund (CADFund) forms part of the Chinese government’s practical implementation, for some of its plans and objectives, for the African continent. CADFund was established as part of the eight measures announced by then Chinese President Hu Jintao, at the 2006 Forum on ChinaAfrica Cooperation (FOCAC). While operating according to market principles, the Fund is an economic and diplomatic tool of the Chinese government to encourage Chinese enterprises’ investments in African countries. Chinese investments might boost African economies; yet, there is no automaticity in developmental effects. CADFund’s operations as a sovereign wealth fund can be compared to other such funds in the African context. This policy brief elaborates on the setting and policy of CADFund, specifically in comparison to Norfund, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund for investments in developing countries, which also has a development vocation. The policy brief concludes with recommendations for change.
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    Chinese engagement in African security — pragmatism and shifts under the surface
    (Stellenbosch University, Centre for Chinese Studies, 2013-09) Anthony, Ross; Grimm, Sven
    As China’s economic expansion continues, its role in global international affairs has become more prominent. Not least so Chinese trade and investment in Africa will have implications regarding peace and security, both within Africa but also globally. The security implications of this relationship are broad, ranging from the political calculus of setting up businesses and securing assets, to the far broader picture of China’s role in regional and global security architectures. These micro- and macro-processes are linked in significant ways, as frequently witnessed in commodities industries, where the investment and securitization of raw materials in fragile states have direct implications for larger concerns such as national and global energy strategies, regional and geo-political security. This brief analyses current trends and debates, and provides recommendations for a way forward.
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    The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) - Political rationale and functioning
    (Centre for Chinese Studies, Stellenbosch University, 2012-05) Grimm, Sven
    The 5th Forum for China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held in Beijing in July 2012. The Forum, established for the first time in October 2000 in Beijing, constitutes a platform for African and Chi-nese policymakers to enhance China’s relations with African countries. The years since 2000 have seen growing political, economic and diplomatic interests in China-Africa relations, attracting global attention toward China’s engagement in Africa. This has led to increasing analysis, research and studies which seek to better understand Sino-African partnerships and cooperation. FOCAC has deep-ened China-Africa’s relations in various fields: politics, economics, investments, trade, south-south cooperation and aid; etc. For Chinese and African officials, FOCAC constitutes a multilateral platform to evaluate the achievements and discuss the perspectives of Sino-African relations. This paper ex-plores the political partnership element of FOCAC and looks into the workings of the institutions.
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    South Africa’s relations with China and Taiwan: Economic realism and the ‘One China’ doctrine
    (Stellenbosch University Centre for Chinese Studies, 2013-11) Anthony, Ross; Grimm, Sven; Kim, Yejoo; Centre for Chinese Studies. Policy breifing
    In 1998, after the fall of apartheid, South Africa commenced diplomatic relations with the People’s Re-public of China (PRC). This ‘normalisation’ of South Africa’s China policy came with a condition to recognise Beijing’s ‘One China’ policy proclaiming Taiwan an inalienable part of China. At the heart of the relationship between South Africa, China and Taiwan exists an economic pragmatism which exists in tandem with a policy of diplomatic isolationism. Nevertheless, while trade with Taiwan has continued, South Africa has been loath to strengthen the relationship, in part due to a fear of alienating its relationship with China. Given that relations with China have steeply increased in importance, cautious behaviour of the South African government is reasonable. However, in the case of economic diplomacy towards Taiwan, South Africa appears to not use available policy space. This can be seen as reflective of a South African foreign policy accused of being beholden to China.
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    Transparency of Chinese aid – the published information on Chinese external financial flows
    (Centre for Chinese Studies, Stellenbosch University, 2011-11) Grimm, Sven
    There are many myths and misconceptions about the level of information publically available on Chinese efforts and activities in the developing world. With the growing momentum around aid transparency since the Third High Level Forum on aid effectiveness (HLF-3) in Accra in 2008, and the preparations for HLF-4 being held in Busan in late November 2011, the Centre for Chinese Studies published a report on China’s aid information to provide a firmer footing for the discussions going forward. The purpose of this paper is to map and assess the levels of aid information made available across Chinese agencies that engage in various forms of international cooperation. The paper — summarised in this policy briefing — explores opportunities to improve publicly available information on Chinese foreign assistance and how to ensure comparability with other donors. The report was jointly published by the Centre for Chinese Studies (CCS) at Stellenbosch University and Publish What You Fund, the global campaign for aid transparency. The full report can be found on the CCS website: www.sun.ac.za/ccs.