Browsing by Author "Kim, Yejoo"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    A Chinese company’s investment strategy in South Africa: the case of Hisense
    (Gesellschaft fur Erdkunde zu Berlin, 2016) Kim, Yejoo
    Hisense, a Chinese home appliance manufacturer, entered South Africa’s TV market in 1996 and the company has since expanded its operations. Now Hisense is one of the major players in the TV market in South Africa. The company’s success can be measured through a mix of the four P’s of marketing: price, product, promotion and place (distribution). The successful combination of strategies helped Hisense penetrate South Africa’s TV market and acquire a growing market share. As a result, Hisense has contributed to export-led economic growth, technology transfer and job creation, among other development-related benefits to the host country. However, at the same time Hisense has faced challenges including problems with labour relations, e.g. poor working conditions and violations of minimum wage regulations. Most of these problems are recurring issues. This shows that overcoming these challenges is not an easy task for Chinese investors operating in South Africa or elsewhere in Africa, and questions remain regarding whether Chinese investment can contribute to fostering Africa’s industrialisation as well as China’s soft power.
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    Increased Chinese engagement in South Africa’s economy – strategies, opportunities and future implications
    (2015-03) Kim, Yejoo; Jones, Indiana; Chen, Shen; Jiang, Jialing; van den Berg, Margot
    China and South Africa’s relationship has deepened in recent years. Extensive political structures, such as South Africa’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement with China, provide opportunities for bettering local development. Through various partnerships, initiatives and agreements, trade between China and South Africa has grown immensely - totalling ZAR 270 billion in 2013 with foreign direct in- vestment (FDI) booming across sectors. This policy brief discusses the role of finance, telecoms, infrastructure, energy and mining, manufacturing, and tourism in order to better grasp China-South African economic engagement and identify ways in which such investments can benefit local development.
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    Paving the road ahead – China-Africa co-operation in the infrastructure sector
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015-11) Tukic, Nusa; Kim, Yejoo; Stellenbosch University. Centre for Chinese Studies
    China has launched a number of initiatives regarding infrastructural development globally, with a specific focus on scaling up infrastructure throughout the African continent. The BRICS New Development Bank and Chinese infrastructure initiatives such as the China-led Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF) are expected to play a significant role ranging from financing to technology transfer. In January 2015, China and the Africa Union (AU) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on infrastructural development. China and the AU have agreed to put collective effort into improving Africa’s infrastructure including high speed railways, aviation, and road highways. Against this background, the Second Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit will be a platform accelerating the co-operation between China and African states at multiple levels in the infrastructure sector. Prior to the Summit, we should scrutinise Sino-African co-operation in infrastructure both in the past and present in order to map out the future relationship and determine what opportunities and challenges lie in the future. This policy brief offers an overview of Chinese engagement in Africa, with a specific focus on East Africa. In recent years, the East African region in particular has been one of the most prominent beneficiaries of this development, with mega projects including Kenya’s Port Lamu, the Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor and the construction of a Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya. The brief examines the transport sector and its potential to connect African countries by reducing the costs of moving people and goods, and integrating markets.
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    South Africa-China multi-lateral co-operation: BRICS and FOCAC
    (2015-08) Kim, Yejoo; Tukić, Nuša
    The 21st Century has witnessed the emergence of a number of non-western powers, many of which have entered into formal partnerships, driven predominantly by a common development agenda. A prominent engagement within this new context is the China-South Africa relationship which, in recent years, has been strengthened through both bi-lateral exchanges as well as various multi-lateral frameworks. Two major partnerships include BRICS, an association of five major emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and FOCAC, the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation – a triennial ministerial meeting whose aim is to enhance co-operation between China and African states at multiple levels. South Africa’s inclusion in the BRICS grouping bestows on it a prestigious position in the continent as well as in the global arena. At the upcoming FOCAC VI in 2015, it is expected that South Africa as co-chair will yet again show its commitment in taking initiatives to resolve Africa’s challenges. This Policy Brief discusses the importance of South Africa’s growing role in these groupings with a focus on how its membership can contribute to South Africa’s sustainable development and help it to garner opportunities.
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    South African relations with China and Taiwan Economic realism and the “One-China” doctrine
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University. Centre for Chinese Studies, 2014-02) Grimm, Sven; Kim, Yejoo; Anthony, Ross; Centre for Chinese Studies. Policy Briefing
    Since 2009, China is South Africa’s largest bilateral trade partner with political relations between Beijing and Pretoria deepening in recent years. The Chinese government position claims it is a ‘win-win’ situation, but is South Africa maximizing its benefits in the relationship? The research report situated the current relationship within the broader context of South Africa’s foreign and economic policies toward China (the Mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong) as well as identifying challenges and opportunities marking the engagement. The launch of the report in Cape Town (21 February) invited debate and reflection on the current and future state of South Africa-China relations.
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    South Africa’s relations with China and Taiwan: Economic realism and the ‘One China’ doctrine
    (Stellenbosch University Centre for Chinese Studies, 2013-11) Anthony, Ross; Grimm, Sven; Kim, Yejoo; Centre for Chinese Studies. Policy breifing
    In 1998, after the fall of apartheid, South Africa commenced diplomatic relations with the People’s Re-public of China (PRC). This ‘normalisation’ of South Africa’s China policy came with a condition to recognise Beijing’s ‘One China’ policy proclaiming Taiwan an inalienable part of China. At the heart of the relationship between South Africa, China and Taiwan exists an economic pragmatism which exists in tandem with a policy of diplomatic isolationism. Nevertheless, while trade with Taiwan has continued, South Africa has been loath to strengthen the relationship, in part due to a fear of alienating its relationship with China. Given that relations with China have steeply increased in importance, cautious behaviour of the South African government is reasonable. However, in the case of economic diplomacy towards Taiwan, South Africa appears to not use available policy space. This can be seen as reflective of a South African foreign policy accused of being beholden to China.
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    South Korea’s changing political environment and the impact on its Africa policy
    (Stellenbosch University, Centre for Chinese Studies, 2016) Kim, Yejoo
    While political and economic self-interest retains its primacy in South Korea’s foreign policy towards Africa, recent domestic constraints have negatively affected its Africa policy. This article sheds light on the subtle differences between Roh and Lee’s stances towards Africa on the one hand and that of Park on the other hand; whilst further looking at the origin of those differences by examining the political environment of the current administration. The deterioration of inter-Korean relations has led to South Korea’s returning to a foreign policy in which security is primary. Simultaneously, resource diplomacy has faced growing criticism from the public and has lost its legitimacy as a basis for engagement with the continent. These two processes have had an impact on the re-orientation of South Korea’s foreign policy towards Africa. Africa has, again, been placed at the periphery of South Korea’s foreign policy.
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    Why corporatism failed : comparing South Africa and South Korea
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-12) Kim, Yejoo; Van der Westhuizen, Janis; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study the aim is to examine what the impact of the imbalance in the power dynamics between the state, business and labour is on corporatist institutions in South Africa and South Korea. In both countries, the corporatist institutions have failed to bring the actors together and to resolve the various issues as these institutions were expected to do. When looking at the establishment of corporatist institutions in the two countries it is clear that the state had to incorporate the interests of labour in their decision-making process due to the increasing power of labour during the democratisation process. However, the current situation proves that the corporatist institutions in South Africa and South Korea have faced various problems. Therefore why the corporatist institutions in the two countries have not functioned properly is explored in this study. It was found that labour has been placed at a disadvantage compared to the state and business. The influence of labour as an agenda setter and a representative of labour has diminished. On the other hand the state and business, which used to form a coalition under the authoritarian governments, have started gaining power along with globalisation. The adoption of neo-liberal economic policies, has resulted in the fragmentation of labour, generating unemployment and irregular jobs. The imbalance of power between the actors has negatively affected the corporatist institutions. Under the circumstances, the corporatist institutions did not ensure that the voice of labour was heard and heeded. Instead of using corporatism, labour in South Africa tends to use the tripartite alliance in order to advance its interests. Labour in South Korea is likely to use mass action, and this tendency prevails in South Africa as well. Also, the corporatist institutions have been criticised due to their lack of accountability and institutional problems; this has negatively affected their credibility. The corporatist institutions have become little more than names. In the cases of South Africa and South Korea, corporatism seems to have been adopted as a mere crisis response when the two countries faced political economic crises and it is seen as another control mechanism created by states experiencing democratisation. Furthermore, the imbalance in the relationship between actors negatively affected the corporatist institutions and in the end they collapsed.