Discussion Papers (Centre for Chinese Studies)
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- ItemChinese presence in real estate in South Africa and Mauritius(2016) Cowaloosur, HonitaThe proliferating Chinese presence in the foreign real estate business is a pertinent subject of debate the world over. Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and several other countries, fear that Chinese interest in property acquisition in their respective countries is leading to inflated house prices. In the midst of these trends set by the Ultra High Net Worth Individuals (UHNWI) from China, African countries are now emerging as prospective destinations for large numbers of empowered Chinese middle class home-buyers. South Africa and Mauritius distinguish themselves as two of the preferred destinations of this segment. As foreign property ownership mushrooms in the two countries, evaluations indicate that the countries fail in adequately regulating these investments to match their existing socio-economic, environmental and political contexts.
- ItemEconomic repercussions of the Look East Policy in Zimbabwe(2016) Tukić, Nuša; Tombindo, FelixIn 2003, Zimbabwe formally announced the Look East Policy (LEP) in the face of economic sanctions by the West. This, coupled with the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) of 2000, has strengthened trade and bi-lateral investments between Zimbabwe and China. China is increasingly involved in Zimbabwe’s agriculture, mining, construction and tourism industries. There is also an influx of Chinese entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe’s retail industry. The repercussions of the LEP have been mixed. In this policy brief, we critically engage with three sectors: agriculture, mining and the informal sector; in order to provide an overview of the effects that LEP has had on Zimbabwe focusing on the period 2010-2016. We also propound some recommendations for more positive outcomes in the future.
- ItemTanzania-China all-weather friendship from socialism to globalization: a case of relative decline(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-05) Cabestan, Jean-Pierre; Chaponniere, Jean-Raphael; Centre for Chinese Studies. Discussing PapersHow close is the Tanzanian-Chinese partnership today? Bi-lateral trade and Chinese economic activity in Tanzania today is far more significant than in the 1970s; China’s “no strings attached” policy is still attractive and political solidarities and military co-operation have remained relatively strong. However, this bi-lateral relationship does not have the importance, nor the exclusiveness it enjoyed in the heydays of socialism. Today, China must compete economically, politically and culturally with the activism and soft power of a larger group of countries, particularly the United States. Although both in Dar es Salaam and in Beijing this relationship is still presented as “special”, it has lost the structural role that it had until the late 1970s in shaping Sino-African relations. Growing Sino-American and Sino-Western competition in Africa has increased Tanzania’s option and helped it, to some extent, to better defend its own interests. This paper examines Tanzanian-Chinese relations over the past half century and more particularly since 2005, highlighting how global political, strategic and economic shifts have affected and on the whole reduced, in relative terms, the importance of this bi-lateral relationship
- ItemNavigating The Gulf : China’s balancing strategy(2014-12) Mandira, BagwandeenDue to China’s growing energy needs that stem from its unrelenting economic development, Beijing stresses the importance of maintaining a continuous supply of energy - particularly oil - to maintain its impressive economic growth. However, seeing as China’s domestic resources are unable to satisfy its projected future oil demands, the Chinese realise that, barring significant domestic oil discoveries, their dependency on oil imports - particularly from the Middle East - will continue to increase. Of particular importance to the Chinese is the Persian Gulf as it contains a large share of the world’s proven oil reserves. China has thus sought to improve relations with Persian Gulf nations such as Iran. However, Iran’s pursuit to obtain nuclear capabilities has implicated China in Iranian-American tensions. Although China has sought to steer clear of becoming embroiled in the Iranian nuclear situation due to its improved standing in the Gulf, Beijing has unavoidably become a significant actor in the diplomatic brinkmanship regarding Iran’s nuclear situation. By means of a literature review, this paper posits that China’s response to Iran’s nuclear ambitions essentially mirrors its overall diplomatic strategy towards the Middle East; a strategy of pragmatically balancing its own relationship with the US whilst simultaneously advancing profitable geo-economic relations with oil rich Gulf nations.
- ItemChina-Africa joint research and exchange programme : Forum on China Africa Co-operation (FOCAC)(2014-10) Vhumbunu, Clayton H.The paper identifies and analyses the main vectors of China’s accelerated development including economic, governmental, cultural, educational, infrastructural, technological, and agricultural reforms, examining how these serve as models of poverty eradication, the work draws ideas for the acceleration of development in Africa. It presents a holistic overview from which applicable lessons can be drawn. The paper acknowledges the fact that China is a unitary state with more than 1.3 billion people, whilst on the other hand, Africa, despite a general consensus to reduce poverty, is a continent with now over one billion people spanning 55 fragmented economies. What lessons can be drawn from the development experience in China to accelerate the African integration agenda? The paper argues that China’s success today is largely due to the nurturing of a visionary and dedicated leadership system based on an orderly succession system; capable and competent bureaucracy; effective policy planning and co-ordination; and policy discipline. In recommendation, the paper suggest that Africa strengthens and broadens regional policy planning and co-ordination mechanisms taking into consideration the global political economy context and the continent’s psycho-social structure. This research was undertaken for Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC), www.sardc.net, Knowledge for Development Institute for China Africa Studies in Southern Africa (ICASSA).