Mediatized China-Africa Relations (eBook)

Dr Shubo Li is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI), Norway. She has worked as journalist and media manager in China and received her doctorate in Communication from the Communication and Media Research Institute at the University of Westminster, United Kingdom.

Acknowledgments 7
Contents 9
Abbreviations 12
List of Figures 14
Chapter 1: Introduction 15
The G20 Summit and China’s Media Involvement in Africa 15
Mediatized China–Africa Relations 18
China–Africa Communications 22
The Legacy of Researching China’s Media Diplomacy in Africa 24
Mediatization: Theoretical Framework and Organization of the Book 26
Chapter 2: International Debate over China–Africa Media Engagements 35
The Rise of China 35
The Neo-Colonialism Narrative Paradigm 40
The Pragmatism Narrative Paradigm 47
The Information Contra-Flow Narrative Paradigm 51
Chapter 3: Changing Africa’s Mediascape? 62
An Overview of Scholarship on Media in Africa 62
Precolonial and Colonial Legacies 64
Post-colonial Heritage and Media as a Nation-­Building Project 67
Dependence on Major “Wholesale” News Suppliers 70
Democratic Transitions Since the 1990s and Commercialization in the Twenty-First Century 75
Challenges as the Bedrock for Asian Influences 79
Chapter 4: China’s Media Involvement in Africa 87
Bandung Spirit: Anti-imperialist Comradeship and Nation-Building 88
New Players in the International Market 91
Matching “Industry Going Out” with “Culture Going Out” 95
Continuity and Non-continuity: The Various Forms of Media Involvement and Evolvement 99
The Invention of the Chinese Model 108
Chapter 5: How Chinese Media Houses Are Established in Africa 114
China Daily: The Chief Correspondent’s Story 114
Xinhua News Agency: Xinhua’s Localization 118
CCTV Africa: Covering Ebola 120
CRI: A Radio of Geniality 125
Expansion by Mandate: The Pros and Cons 129
Chapter 6: Contesting the Chinese Model of Telecommunication Expansion in Africa 134
Two Confusions Surrounding Chinese Telecommunication Engagement in Africa 135
The State’s Role in the Development of the Chinese Communication Equipment Industry 136
The Role of the State in Assisting Telecommunications Going Out: One Policy, Two Results 138
Angola: One Market, Two Business Models 143
The Bull: ZTE and Movicel 148
The Wolf: Huawei and Unitel 150
Contesting the Concept of “the Chinese Model” 152
Credit Lines: A Chinese Characteristic? 153
Foul Play: A Distinct Chinese Characteristic? 155
Chapter 7: New Prospects and Challenges: Mapping China’s Expansive Telecommunications Industry in Africa 163
The Drive from the State: Catalytic Policies 163
The One Belt One Road Initiative and the Promotion of Chinese Standard 164
A Historic Opportunity for the Chinese Fiber-Optic and Submarine Optical Cable Industries 166
The Deepening of China’s Engagement in Africa Marked by the 2015 FOCAC 168
The Push for Chinese Telecommunication Operators to Go Global 170
Conclusion 173
Chapter 8: How Chinese New Media Portrays Africa 178
Why Is the New Media So Important? 178
Online Public Space in China: A Filtered Space 179
Understanding How Chinese People Express Their Perception of Africa 181
Using Nvivo to Capture the Structure of Online Opinions 184
Case 1: The United Nations’ New Year’s Greeting 186
Case 2: Chinese Girls, African Boys—Interracial Relationships 189
Case 3: African Population in Guangzhou 192
Conclusion 194
Chapter 9: Conclusion: Unpacking Chinese Media Diplomacy in Africa 200
What Is China’s Media Diplomacy in Africa and How Does It Work? 200
Is China’s Media Diplomacy Effective? 203
Policy Implications 209
Index 213