China''s Implementation Of Neo-Colonialism Through Soft Power In Africa From 2010 – 2022 - Lit Review.pdf

1 MINISTRY EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS & FINACE FACULTY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS LITERATURE REVIEW COURSE NAME READING IN POLITICAL SCIENCE Lecturer MA Trần Minh[.]

MINISTRY EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF

ECONOMICS & FINACE

FACULTY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

LITERATURE REVIEW

COURSE NAME: READING IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

Lecturer: MA Trần Minh Nhân

Full name: Huỳnh Diệp Yến Vy

Student ID: 205161266

Class: A02E

Topic: China's implementation of neo-colonialism through soft power in Africa from 2010 –

2022

Introduction

Africa's economic development is having remained a topic of considerable discussion for decades; according to a research paper on Africa's economy in the decade 2010-2020 by Dinh Cong Hoang, despite existence of political fluctuations, the African economic growth rate from 2010-2014 heightened from 3.6% to 6.2%, which is higher than the global average In addition to the development of exports, countries in Africa also promote mining, and

infrastructure construction along with other sectors such as agriculture, information, and communication technology, not to mention oil mines However, in 2015-2016, Africa's

economy growth rate experienced a gradual decline due to factors such as the Ebola epidemic and political instability occurring in both North and Central Africa (Hoang, 2020) With such interesting developments in a variety of fields, especially the export of goods to many

countries, it is impossible not to mention China The relationship between China and Africa dates back a significantly long amount of time and is also linked through the ages due to historical similarities According to the data table "Top ten countries by FDI in Africa

2011-2016 (billion USD)", from 2011-2011-2016, China increased its investment share by 213.0% in countries in Africa Africa Meanwhile, USA or UK lies at a respective steady 0% and 1.9% (Vicini, 2022) Besides, China's exports to countries in North Africa account for

approximately $27 billion (23.8% of the total export turnover of the whole continent), while the North African import index has been estimated to be valued at $7 billion (Uddhammar, 2021)

The equity investments in Africa that come from China are a monumental transition that requires Western countries to take in thorough consideration regarding the extent of China's continued rise During the decades ranging from 2010 to 2020, China's soft power has grown immensely due to the influence of the economies of African countries And these

"pro-Africa" policies have brought about a plethora of controversies, mainly due to China carrying out neo-colonialism based on the impact of investment, and development process of the African economy Some researchers argue that this is the push strategy to restore China's position as a great power with neo-colonial policies And this essay’s primary aim is to

analyse the policies that China has applied to Africa in order to exert influence both

economically and politically through soft power in the present and in the future There are similarities between this policy and neo-colonialism so I will discuss this topic in further detail

The neo-colonialism and China's soft power development policy

Neo-colonialism can be viewed a variety of different perspectives, with newly

independent states still in their developing stage, this is an opportunity for the great powers to apply neo-colonial policies to the new government system Dependence is the first characteristic of neo-colonialism, with the direction coming from a foreign power to another country even though the country already has a complete system of government and territory (NKRUMAH, 1965) Similar to the US initiatives when establishing the puppet government of Ngo Dinh Diem in South Vietnam after the defeat of the previous French, to implementation of the plan to defeat the Vietnamese revolution, ultimately transitioning South Vietnam into a new American colony (Hien, 1954-1975)

In other words, neo-colonialism also regarded as financial colonialism; it is a

sophisticated act of exploitation, or a form of indirect rule This form has been

implemented by the US since 1823, with the objective of rising to protect the

independence and providing financial resources for Latin American countries on the condition that the pro-American governments in Latin America will utilize those funds Primarily to invest in developing industries that do not compete with the US, especially further supplementation, and development for the US economy With such sophisticated policies, the Latin American countries gradually turned into a backyard for the American Empire, dependent on the potential for the economic development of the United States (BAN, 2018)

Following the conclusion of the Cold War, nations began to accelerate on the path of economic development, and neo-colonialism worked the way it did, but with more confidential behaviour Multinational corporations and large joint stock companies from the great power only provide marginal benefits to the elites of the inferior

country, and this country is dependent on the ability to develop its economy of those companies It’s operation revolves around a tie that less developed countries are required to follow for developed countries to achieve easier access to mineral

resources and minimally invested labour (Khodadadzadeh, 2017: 15)

From an economic viewpoint, neo-colonialism will only be effective if capital from a foreign power is poured in only for colonial-style exploitation of the weaker country, instead of for investment development in that country or less developed regions Hence exists the emergence of the question, are China's economic policies on Africa

neo-colonialism or just policies aimed at restoring great power status through soft power? The rule of non-interference in the internal affairs of the country is an

inviolable concept in Chinese foreign policy However, China is now very active regarding it’s participation in the activities of professional bodies as well as private sectors These actions are intended to result in further expansion of its influence so that other policies can easily be opened in Africa (Nantulya, 2018)

Africa's economy in the period 2010 – 2022

The African continent has experienced countless conflicts and traumas in the past After the countries gradually gained their independence, the path of economic development is

increasingly open in today's international market Although there are still political conflicts and epidemic crises, in general, the economic situation in Africa from 2010 to 2022 is still regarded as a positive development

Regionally, countries in West Africa have a experienced growth rate of about 6% or more, while in East Africa the economic development index is also quite high accounting for up to 5.9% and sets a threshold of 6.5% in 2015 Moreover, the oil industry (West Africa) also contributes about 37% of GDP (or 1/5 of government revenue) Regarding trade between Africa and the rest of the world, the growth of goods trade reached 14% in 2011 and 2012 thanks to the exportation of oil and minerals However, from 2013-2016, the economy was experienced severe depression resulting from the emergence of diseases in key export

countries in West and Central Africa and droughts experienced in South Africa By 2017, following the situation’s stabilization, the development of this continent was enhanced, and the export turnover continually increased from 807 billion USD (2016) to 1075 billion USD (2018), along with a level of remarkable growth of 15.7% in 2017 and 15.8% in 2018 But, overall, Africa's total trade value has yet to recover fully to its previous 2011 highs of $1172.5 billion For trading partners in the region, Asian countries are considered an important factor

in the period 2011 – 2020 The share of trade with Asia has skyrocketed from 33.1% (2011)

to 40, 1% (2018); followed by Europe accounting for 17.9% and America's 8.6% of total turnover in 2018 (Hoang, 2020)

With such a surprising development, it is impossible not to mention a seemingly formidable partner, as well as a strong opponent of Western countries - China Despite sharing historical similarities with Africa, China has affirmed its position in the international trade arena as well

as its "pro-African" plans Thereby, Africa can also achieve a better understanding of China's strategies for economic development

According to Makhtar Diop, China's focus is on boosting productivity, along with the

importance of large human and material investments, high savings rates and long-term goals China's productivity growth remained extremely high for decades, largely driven by

agriculture, township, private enterprise, and the state-owned sector As can be seen, some of Africa's growth has been supported by China, such as the Huajian shoe factory in Ethiopia, which went into production in 2012 and was even profitable in its first year of operation In addition, the production and trade of agricultural products will also be of high value, for example, Nigeria can export cassava flour, Kenyans can produce trimmed flowers, and trade

in chocolate products in Madagascar If Africa is successful in sustaining the three economic model strategies (production - value enhancement - export diversification), this can ultimately result in them assisting Africa in increasing productivity and resilience regarding economic growth in the globalization scene (DiopMakhtar, 2015)

China's economic market - policies to enhance international power

With investment policies, foreign capital, huge debts, and a fertile labour market, China can

be considered successful in its long-term cooperation plan with the economy of Africa One

of China's five principles of foreign relations, which states not to interfere in the internal politics of countries, is a premise to make it more effortless in establishing economic

partnership with Africa Therefore, this country also made a statement that it will focus on developing friendly relations with Africa based on the elements of friendly cooperation, equality, and mutual trust (Khodadadzadeh, 2017)

Not only that, China is willing to provide loans boasting low-interest rates to create

favourable conditions for improving the quality of life for poor African countries Besides, there is a huge investment that China put into use to construction of hospitals, bridges, and roads in Africa amounting to billions of dollars (Hassig, 2012)

According to the essay China in Africa: The Role of Trade, Investments, and Loans Amidst Shifting Geopolitical Ambitions by Peter Stein and Emil Uddhammar; In 2019, 6 countries accounted for about 68% of total exports, with Angola accounting for almost a third of this proportion China mainly imports petroleum, minerals, chemicals, platinum or cast iron, iron, and steel from the Republic of Congo and South Africa Africa's major export market is the

EU, which accounts for 31% of exports, but China alone accounts for 11%, we can see that

trade with the Chinese market accounts for a much higher proportion Africa's foreign trade situation In the same year, total investment capital from China reached $44 billion,

equivalent to 2% of FDI (total foreign investment) of China; Compared with the US,

although the investment capital is up to 78 billion USD, it accounts for only 0.7% of the total FDI abroad (Uddhammar, 2021)

According to a 2016 Afrobarometer survey, 63% of people in 36 African countries consider economic and political influence from China a positive sign However, the Chinese market is also facing a lot of criticism due to the problem of selling cheap products with low quality, and unclear investments Many Chinese policies have also been criticized for admitting senior leaders but encouraging corruption, which undermines the country's developmental capabilities (Nantulya, 2018) China also believes that the trade cooperation between this country and Africa is a plan that benefits both sides or at least in the short term, aid, and investment for developing countries development in Africa benefits the continent However, relying on the inflow of money has created long-term effects as well as China's intervention has become a matter of concern for some African countries (Hassig, 2012)

Today, China is one of the leading countries economically, it is a country specializing in mass production, and can continuously churn out all products through intermediaries with cheap processing, high competitiveness, and substantially lower costs compared to other developing countries Not only that, but this country is also the birthplace of highly advanced

technological products such as electronic devices, satellites, and aerospace technology

equipment Briefly, this is a huge economic market, fully concentrated on all items

originating from a variety of fields (Vicini, 2022) Thereby, it can be observed that China is gradually becoming a great power, and raising the country's position in the international arena

is not too difficult to understand

Conclusion

In summary, based on the discussions elaborated above, Africa has had a strong economic transformation, although it is still a continent with many poor countries in the world From the growth indicators of export turnover, trade volume as well as world cooperation Along with foreign policy and trade with many other continents such as Asia, the EU, and the

Americas From countries that have suffered a lot throughout history, Africa now has a

stronger opportunity to integrate into the world economy And this change contributes a lot to China

As Paul Nantulya discusses, China has a strong influence on Africa's recovery and

development This continent can be said to be an important key in the grand strategy to restore China's position as a great power Africa can be both a valuable resource and an important strategic partner in international decision-making (Nantulya, 2018)

Despite its strong economic and political influence, the findings mentioned above has not determined whether China is using neo-colonialism in Africa as the US has shown doing with Latin American countries and South Vietnam Because neo-colonialism itself is viewed from

a theoretical and political perspective from time to time In the discussion “AN OTHER ACCESSORY, DIFFERENT IMAGINATION ABOUT Colonialism and Its Forms” by Bui Van Dan pointed out many types of colonialism, and among them is technological

colonialism (BAN, 2018) Because colonialism and colonialism have similarities, I also view China's power politics strategies differently China's plans to approach and influence Africa may be very similar to financial colonialism (neo-colonialism), but besides that, the era of 4.0

- an age of advanced technology is also an opportunity to China use its technological prowess

to buy cheaply (raw materials) and sell it expensively (technology products) to other less developed countries However, this approach is insufficient in concluding that China is utilizing neo-colonialism or any other type of colonialism in Africa And these are the

limitations that in the process of researching the above essays which I still have not been able

to reach a conclusive assessment Moreover, the development of Africa does not rely solely

on the Chinese market, besides, the Asian and European markets still contribute important numbers in affirming the position of African countries

Finally, for the purposes of proposing future research based on the research gap regarding Chinese neo-colonialism, I find that the authors have confirmed the level of intimacy and influence with African countries But instead of approaches coming from a Chinese

perspective, the authors can change to an African one One can say for example how neo-colonialism emerging in Africa today has changed the economies of the less developed countries in the continent Provided these perspective adjustments are realized, we will get more in-depth studies on colonialism and its influence on weaker countries

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thông tin lý luận

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