Kenya's regional ambitions or China's <scp>Belt‐and‐Road</scp>? News media representations of the <scp>Mombasa‐Nairobi</scp> Standard Gauge Railway

Basu, Pratyusha; Janiec, Milena

doi:10.1111/sjtg.12350

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Modernisation of transport and energy infrastructure reduces logistics costs, improves access to markets and resources, attracts foreign investment and boosts trade. For example, the World Bank estimates that the implementation of the Mombasa-Nairobi railway project in Kenya could increase the countryʼs GDP by 1.5% annually (Basu & Janiec, 2021).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

China’s experience of infrastructure megaprojects in Eurasia and Africa: Successes and contradictions

Staiian

2024

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The research relevance is determined by the unprecedented scale of Chinese infrastructure initiatives, their potential impact on regional development and the geopolitical balance of power, as well as the controversial nature of their socio-economic and environmental consequences in the context of current global transformations. The study aims to provide a critical analysis of the successes and contradictions of Chinaʼs infrastructure initiatives. Synthesis, comparative analysis, critical analysis, modelling, structural-functional and systematisation methods were used in the study. The results of the study demonstrate the significant potential of Chinese infrastructure megaprojects to stimulate economic growth, and infrastructure development and deepen regional integration in Eurasia and Africa. However, despite the declared benefits, these initiatives are characterised by several contradictions and challenges. Large-scale Chinese investments carry risks of debt dependence for recipient countries, as they are often provided on non-transparent and unfavourable terms. In addition, the implementation of megaprojects is accompanied by high corruption risks, a lack of proper accountability mechanisms, and limited involvement of local resources and companies. This minimises potential economic benefits for the countries involved and hinders technology transfer and local capacity development. Chinese infrastructure projects are also often associated with negative social and environmental impacts, such as forced resettlement of communities, ecosystem degradation, and pollution. To overcome these contradictions, recommendations have been developed to introduce mechanisms for transparency, accountability, active involvement of local companies and ensuring a fair distribution of economic benefits among all stakeholders. The practical significance of the study lies in the development of recommendations for optimising Chinese infrastructure megaprojects, given the interests of the participating countries, which can be used to improve cooperation strategies with China and ensure the sustainability, mutual benefit and inclusiveness of these initiatives

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

China’s experience of infrastructure megaprojects in Eurasia and Africa: Successes and contradictions

Staiian

2024

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“…Nevertheless, following the railway completion, in both academic and media analyses, the Kenyan SGR has been associated with China's BRI (e.g. Basu and Janiec 2021; Carmody et al. 2022; Taylor and Zajontz 2020; Zhu et al.…”

Section: The Sgr and The Hybridity Of The Contractormentioning

confidence: 99%

Improvised Hybridity in the “Fixing” of Chinese Infrastructure Capital: The Case of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway

Huang

Lesutis

2023

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The article explores the role of state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) in the globalisation of China's infrastructure capital. Examining how accumulation strategies of Chinese SOEs are driven by a complex set of political and economic, state and private, interests, it foregrounds the inherently hybrid nature of China's state capitalism. We use Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) as a case study to analyse how state infrastructure capital traverses borders, and the specific ways that contradictions of accumulation in China are relocated through the improvised hybridity of SOEs. In Kenya, China Road and Bridge Corporation, the main SGR contractor, shifted and adapted its strategies as the pursuit of economic productivity gave way to political priorities in China, simultaneously responding to changing socio‐political circumstances in Kenya and across East Africa. Analysing these dynamics, we highlight the contingencies of, and limitations to, structural reorganisation of actually existing forms of state capitalism in China and beyond.

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“…A number of other researchers have sought to transcend the positive-negative coverage framework. Basu and Janiec (2021) have studied Kenyan news media representations of megainfrastructural projects that China has financed in the country. These authors find that the media narrative "moves beyond the frame of negatives and positives to become one part of the larger regional ambitions espoused by Kenya's political and economic elites" (Basu and Janiec 2021, 61).…”

Section: What Influence Does Chinese Media Have In Africa?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Africa-China Knowledge Networks: State of the Field

Bolin¹,

Carayannis²,

Niewenhuis³

et al. 2022

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The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) is an independent, international, nonprofit organization founded in 1923. It fosters innovative research, nurtures new generations of social scientists, deepens how inquiry is practiced within and across disciplines, and mobilizes necessary knowledge on important public issues. For nearly 100 years the SSRC has coordinated the research, policy, and philanthropic communities in the pursuit of evidence-based policies to promote human well-being, emerging as both a pivotal force in the academy and a respected contributor to the public good. The SSRC is guided by the belief that justice, prosperity, and democracy all require better understanding of complex social, cultural, economic, and political processes. We work with practitioners, policymakers, and academic researchers in the social sciences, natural sciences, humanities, and related professions. We build interdisciplinary and international networks, working with partners around the world to link research to practice and policy, strengthen individual and institutional capacities for learning, and enhance public access to information.

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Kenya's regional ambitions or China's Belt‐and‐Road? News media representations of the Mombasa‐Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway

Cited by 10 publications

References 18 publications

China’s experience of infrastructure megaprojects in Eurasia and Africa: Successes and contradictions

China’s experience of infrastructure megaprojects in Eurasia and Africa: Successes and contradictions

Improvised Hybridity in the “Fixing” of Chinese Infrastructure Capital: The Case of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway

Africa-China Knowledge Networks: State of the Field

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