Dancing with the Dragon: Africa's Courtship with China

Recasting Transnationalism through Performance

“…Finally, Deolinda turned her attention to Asia, gossiping with her Conscience about how Chinoca (China) was suddenly courting Afrinio (Africa): 'What could that family want with Afrinio now, when they've never shown interest before?' 43 Here, she articulates the suspicion that both African and Western countries have toward China, which has increased its industrial activities in and trade partnerships with African nations in recent decades (see Zeleza 2008). Throughout these scenes, the barman's close watch over Deolinda symbolizes the tendency of the World Bank to survey and prey on vulnerable nations with troubled pasts.…”

“…The Conscience is thus the kind of moral compass Mwase asks CSOs to be for African nations facing pressure from the IMF. When she prodded Deolinda to negotiate better partnerships with her suitors, including Anísio (Asia), she echoed Paul Zeleza's (2008) call for CSOs to mitigate the impact of Chinese industrialization in Africa by pushing for more humane working conditions and environmental measures. Through the Conscience, then, the play offers an interesting compromise: while African nations may not be able to opt out of the global market, they can opt for diplomatic strategies that will improve their positions within that market.…”

“…Mozambique is a member of the SADC along with fourteen other nations that have pledged to work together to boost the region's economy and security. The play's message thus dovetails with Africanist scholarship that advocates that African governments rely on regional organizations such as the SADC in order to combat global inequalities (Mwase 2007;Zeleza 2008). Ultimately, then, the proposal of the Conscience had both reactionary and progressive connotations: in the love story, it potentially affirmed patriarchal privilege and heteronormativity, while in the political allegory, it suggested that if marginalized nations could embrace solidarity, it would improve their economic prospects, and by extension, the economic prospects of women workers.…”

‘We are Scared to Say No’: Facing Foreign Timber Companies in Sierra Leone's Community Woodlands

“…On one hand, they need not be wholly negative; recent Chinese aid and investment in the region have had numerous positive impacts (Breslin and Taylor, 2008;Mohan, 2008;Zeleza, 2008;Broadman, 2009). While 'western' aid has shifted to health care and education, the PRC has provided critical agricultural and industrial assistance (Alden, 2005;Carmody and Owosu, 2007) and unprecedented infrastructural investments (Davies, 2008).…”

On Cultural and Academic Exchanges Between China and African Countries

“…Two more CCS have opened at the University of Zimbabwe and Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Nigeria. They offer to African leaders and traders some information on China's activities (Zeleza, 2008;Carayannis and Olin, 2012). These are not enough for African countries to understand more about China.…”