Centre for Chinese Studies
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The Centre for Chinese Studies (CCS) at Stellenbosch University is the leading African research institution for innovative & policy relevant analysis of the relations between China and Africa.
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Browsing Centre for Chinese Studies by Author "Burgess, Meryl"
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- ItemAfrican regional economic communities engagement with China(2014-09) Esterhuyse, Harrie Willie; Cisse, Daouda; Anthony, Ross; Burgess, MerylThe development of effective African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) stands to benefit African countries immensely. Transnational free trade regions, single customs unions, single markets, single currencies and other forms of political and economic integration have the potential to strengthen both inter-regional and international trade as well as creating more robust solutions to issues of food, climate, health and political security. Nevertheless, implementation has proved a formidable challenge: lack of adequate economic and political structures, institutions and policies has impeded progress. The ability to strengthen many aspects of RECs are up to member states: agreeing on a set of political and socio-economic strategic priorities at the core of regional integration, implementing mechanisms for cooperation and integration as well as ensuring compliance are all challenges which need to be negotiated internally. A crucial aspect is formulating coherent policy on how to engage with external actors. Along with the European Union and the United States of America, China is now an undeniably influential actor with regards to all African RECs. With a co-ordinated China policy, RECs can effectively foster regional integration through both increased trade capacity and infrastructural development. This policy brief focuses on three RECs - SADC (Southern African Development Community); ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) and the EAC (East African community) – as illustration of how Chinese investment has been harnessed.
- ItemAssessing China’s role in foreign direct investment in Southern Africa(Centre for Chinese Studies, Stellenbosch University, 2011-03) Van Der Lugt, Sanne; Hamblin, Victoria; Burgess, Meryl; Schickerling, Elizabeth; Oxfam, Hong KongPopular claims link the inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) almost automatically to economic development. This notion increased in prominence with the rise of neo-liberal thinking in the 1980s. It was also fuelled by the success of the so-called Asian Tigers achieving high growth rates, coupled with poverty reduction through an outward market-policy orientation. This study explores FDI in Southern Africa and Zambia specifically, based on the analysis of policy documents and interviews with a small sample of twelve Chinese and African government officials, CSO representatives as well as private sector representatives.
- ItemThe challenge in conservation of biodiversity : regulation of National Parks in China and South Africa in comparison(Stellenbosch University. Centre for Chinese Studies, 2012-05) Burgess, MerylDue to the increasing depletion and extinction of the world’s biodiversity, it has become a vital process among the global community to protect the environment and safeguard natural habitats and thousands of species. In developing countries like China and South Africa, factors like the growth and development of urban and rural spaces, industrialisation, high population growth and agriculture activities have added extra pressures to the countries’ biodiversity and natural environment. For this reason, there has been an increase in the number of protected areas established, especially national parks, that are firstly established to protect biodiversity and secondly, established for education and recreation. China, known as one of the “17 megadiverse” countries in the world, is home to a large percentage of the world’s biodiversity. Due to factors such as development, industrialisation as well as a high population growth in recent decades, much of the country’s biodiversity has been harmed or threatened. Similar to China, South Africa has some of the richest biodiversity in the world, also threatened by both natural causes and human-made factors. For this reason, protected areas such as nature reserves, botanical gardens, scenic landscapes, historical areas and national parks have increasingly been established. Although China has an established nature reserve system as well as regulation thereof, the national park system in China is in its early developing phase, with national parks only having been established in one province. South Africa on the other hand has an older and established national park system, with 22 national parks regulated and managed around the country by SANParks as well as the Department of Environmental Affairs. Because national parks are considered public spaces, they have been regulated, in order to properly protect and manage the parks and the species within them. This study looks at the way China and South Africa have attempted to regulate and manage national parks. Regulation and management of parks are important as parks need to uphold the laws and policy on biodiversity conservation and environmental protection. This study thus looks at how national parks have come to do this in two countries with very rich biodiversity, high tourist numbers and development taking place, in some instances at a rapid pace.
- ItemFOCAC : addressing joint environmental challenges?(Stellenbosch University. Centre for Chinese Studies, 2012-05) Burgess, Meryl; Esterhuyse, HarrieCooperation on environmental challenges has been an instrumental part of the first Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) since its inception in 2000. With increasing levels of economic interactions and political cooperation, environmental concerns have become increasingly important. This policy brief examines the state of environmental cooperation in FOCAC in the light of emerging challenges. It specifically explores issues related to biodiversity, the challenge of combatting desertification and the need to address water scarcity in both China and Africa. All three of these issues are having adverse effects on development prospects, not least on food security. A cross-cutting dimension to consider for the discussion of future challenges is the effect of climate change. From the assessment of common or different challenges, this briefing makes suggestions for future topics in China-Africa relations.
- ItemPreparing for FOCAC VI: China-South Africa co-operation in conservation and renewable energy(2015-08) Burgess, Meryl; Esterhuyse, HarrieAs China’s development puts increasing pressure on the environment, various measures have been implemented both domestically and, increasingly, abroad in an attempt to limit the impact. China’s environmental engagement at an international level, including the agreement between the United States (US) President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping to cut carbon emissions (12 November 2014), signals the growing urgency of the issue. Within the context of the China-South Africa engagement, there are also signs of this shift. Two key areas where this is evident are in China’s growing role in conservation and the renewable energy sector. China’s domestic demand for wildlife goods has motivated the Chinese government to sign a number of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with African governments. In the renewable energy sector again, Africa’s energy needs and untapped capacity for electricity generation from renewable energy (RE) has created a vast potential market for global Chinese renewable energy firms. Both areas have become increasingly important topics within China-Africa relations, and feature on the Forum of China Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) agenda. This policy brief examines the role of these two themes as a way of demonstrating some of the concrete ways in which China-Africa interaction is evolving in a world where sustainable development has become key.
- ItemRaising the bar on sustainable development : renewable energy and environmental standards in FOCAC VI(2015-11) Esterhuyse, Harrie; Burgess, Meryl; Centre for Chinese Studies. Policy BriefingThe 6th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is taking place at a time when Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are high on most international development agendas. Two important aspects of this agenda include environmental protection and the promotion of renewable energy. This policy briefing examines the promotion of renewable energy and the importance of environmental standards in Africa, within the China-Africa relationship.