Tanzanian Association Oslo

China in Africa.

What does it mean for political development?

Thursday, 27^th October 2011 
Time: 12:30 - 15:30 
Place: Bergen Resource Center for International Development, Jekteviksbakken 31. 

Registration of participation

Deborah Brautigam: China and Governance in Africa: What Do We Know?

China is not a democracy. China's engagement in Africa has risen rapidly, and China famously does not interfere in the internal affairs of its partner countries or demand democratic or governance reforms. Many believe that China's engagement threatens good governance and democracy in Africa. Is this likely to be the case? What do we actually know about this, so far?

Shubo Li: Political Identity in China-Africa relations

What is the role of political identity and ideology in the evolving Chinese-African relations? How do we assess these relations in light of regional geopolitical relations and the domestic crisis of political legitimacy in China? How is the new political identity constructed and shared?

Deborah Brautigam is Professor in the International Development Programme at the American University’s School of International Service, Washington, DC and Professor II at the Department of Comparative Politics at the University of Bergen. She has published extensively on China’s Africa policy and on various aspects of development in Africa.  She is the author of the seminal The Dragon's Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa (2009).

Shubo Li, Associate Researcher, Department of Media and Communication, University of Oslo. She has worked as a journalist in China and holds a PhD in communication from the University of Westminster, London. She has lectured on "Media in China" and "New Media in China "in University of Oslo and University College in Oslo. She is a regular contributor to a number of leading Chinese media including South Weekly, Sanlian Life weekly and East Morning Post. Her research interests include new media usages, Chinese media, online journalism, political culture and the Chinese cyberspace in addition to China-Africa relations. 

Discussant: Helge Rønning, Professor, Department of Media and Communication, University of Oslo.

Moderator: Arne Strand, Deputy Director, CMI