Policy Briefings (Centre for Chinese Studies)

Permanent URI for this collection

https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/20896

Browse

Browsing Policy Briefings (Centre for Chinese Studies) by Author "Cisse, Daouda"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    African regional economic communities engagement with China
    (2014-09) Esterhuyse, Harrie Willie; Cisse, Daouda; Anthony, Ross; Burgess, Meryl
    The 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.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Chinese involvement in the Senegalese peanut trade : threat to local markets and processing industries
    (2014-08) Cisse, Daouda
    To deal with household socio-economic difficulties in rural areas in Senegal, peanut cultivation was introduced by French colonial powers at the beginning of the 20th century. The cultivation was to enable Senegal’s domestic agricultural economy to generate revenues and contribute to the development of its agro-processing industries. Over the years, it has become a source of revenue for many families living within the groundnut basins across the country as well as being an important resource for peanut processing industries. In 2010, the liberalisation of the peanut trade in Senegal enabled Senegalese peanut farmers and producers to directly sell to foreign buyers; including the Chinese.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    FOCAC : trade, investments and aid in China-Africa relations
    (Centre for Chinese Studies, Stellenbosch University, 2012-05) Cisse, Daouda
    Under the label of South-South cooperation in the era of economic globalization, China has shown great interest in Africa. In 2000, to formalise bilateral engagement, minimise the discourses sur-rounding China’s relations with Africa and to strengthen Sino-African cooperation, Chinese and Afri-can leaders have established the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC/中非合作论坛). This was announced as the basis of a strategic partnership in the new millennium between China and Africa. To develop economic cooperation and trade ties is the centrepiece of the setting up of the forum. Since the late 1990s/early 2000 through China’s “go out” policy, Sino-African trade has experienced unprecedented growth. From a mere US$ 2 billion in 1999, Sino-African trade has now reached US$ 160 billion, making China a leading trade partner for Africa. China’s economic cooperation with Africa is also fuelled by investments and aid.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    “Going global” in growth markets — Chinese investments in telecommunications in Africa
    (Centre for Chinese Studies, Stellenbosch University, 2012-04) Cisse, Daouda
    China is broadening its investment base in Africa. Investments are shifting from extractive and heavy industries to also include the continent’s service sectors; such as telecommunications. The boom achieved in Africa’s telecoms industry, due to the liberalisation of the sector in many countries and the willingness of African governments to develop and modernise the telecoms industry, has attracted foreign investors, including Chinese multinational companies. Since the late 1990s, follow-ing China’s “go out” policy, Chinese telecoms companies have ventured abroad to acquire technology, new markets and develop new managerial skills.