Dances with the Wolf: Which African People Prefer Team China over Team USA?

• In Event: Poster Session: Democracy & Autocracy

Abstract

The relationship between China, the largest developing country in the world, and Africa, the largest developing continent in the world, has been the interest of many scholars. China’s engagement in Africa is considered a combination of economic development, politics, and global balance of power. The so-called “Beijing Consensus”, the Chinese model that represents state capitalism under an authoritarian government, appears to be preferred by the African Authoritarians. As a result, many African countries have offered their support to China on the international stage; they become important members of Team China. However, is China’s presence in the developing African continent also appreciated by the people of Africa? Who and under what circumstance do African people appreciate China’s engagement in Africa? More importantly, if they were asked to choose between the United States and China, which one they would prefer and why? By using Afro barometer Survey Data Round 6 for empirical tests, this paper indicates that 39% of the survey respondents considered the United States the best model for the future development of their country, whereas 31% of the survey respondents considered China the best model for their country. Further, this paper finds that China’s engagement in the African continent has given the people of African countries different concerns: people who consider the economy of their country is currently good and will be better in the future will be more likely to choose China, while those who express concerns for political issues such as corruption are more likely to choose the United States. These results were robust across models.

Author

• Yen-Hsin Chen, Sul Ross State University