Menu
close
Home › Forums › Short Online Seminars › Contemporary China, Fall 2018 › session #5 - november 6 (china and the world)
Natalie Sanchez.
clay dubeGreat discussion last night. Here are some of the links to the news reports and the Black Mirror program that I mentioned. It was interesting to see that once I mentioned it several posted to the live chat about the program.
Nosedive tease from Netflix (on YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R32qWdOWrTo
Article about the episode: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/10/black-mirror-nosedive-review-season-three-netflix/504668/
NPR's Planet Money on the social credit system: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/10/26/661163105/episode-871-blacklisted-in-china
Canadian Broadcasting System report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqqZEf4LJuw
Merics is a European think tank and had an interesting post about the system's popularity in China: https://www.merics.org/en/blog/chinas-social-credit-systems-are-highly-popular-now
I'm glad that Stephen asked about it last night. I'll be interested in how students respond to ongoing questions about it. Many are increasingly conscious of some risks associated with social media use (Snapchat's early success was attributed to its disappearing posts). They know future friends and employers may look at one's social media history. As an exercise, they might download from Facebook, Google and others, their data files. It could astonish them how much they leave behind. Of course, a discussion about the cost of "free" is always worthwhile.
clay dubeSome referred to the Pence speech in our discussion last night and in an earlier discussion. You and your students may appreciate having the text of the address. It might make for an interesting debate or discussion to take the claims one by one. Small groups might be assigned 2-4 of them.
On Pence's claim of Chinese election meddling, I am not aware of any action beyond placing advertorials in newspapers, something other countries do as well.
Here's a couple of pieces (articles and opinons) published by the Des Moines Register about the advertising supplement they published.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/agriculture/2018/09/24/china-daily-watch-advertisement-tries-sway-iowa-farm-support-trump-trade-war-tariffs/1412954002/
And here's a FactCheck.org article on the issue: https://www.factcheck.org/2018/09/trumps-claim-of-chinese-election-interference/
Perhaps students might be sent to hunt for other advertorials. Of course, the big point here is that advertising that is clear about its source is different from social media bots set up to hammer away at ideas for the purpose of division and diversion.
(It's not China-focused, but here's an article attempting to evaluate the impact of the 2016 Russian efforts. Spoiler alert - conclusions are impossible. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-much-did-russian-interference-affect-the-2016-election/ )
clay dubeNatalie's correct that China's image is better in the developing world. Please do check out the chart I made using Pew data on nervousness about China in Asia (it's in lecture 9). In addition, you may find these poll results interesting:
2018: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/10/19/5-charts-on-global-views-of-china/
You may find Pew director Richard Wiike's presentation at USC in 2013 of interest to compare how views have changed: https://china.usc.edu/richard-wike-chinas-image-us-and-around-world
clay dubeThis new report from the BBC on African debt to Chinese banks is interesting: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-45916060
Lending has increased rapidly:
Zambia seems to be one of the countries at greatest risk of default.
Katrina OhI watched CGTN Africa's program " Chinese Infrastructure Links African Countries" which featured a positive, more optimistic picture of China's relationship with Africa. The news program discussed the increased trade volume between China and Kenya in recent years and highlighted the positive benefits of China's construction of a two -lane highway connecting Mombasa and Uganda, referred to by locals as the Chinese Road. The news program also included interviews of locals who were asked about the Chinese-funded SGR Rail. Those interviewed appeared eager for the railway line, hoping it would make transportation faster and more affordable. Given that the news programming is state television, I am not at all surprised by the tone of the news. I think it is wonderful that Africa is receiving investment from China wonder what economic growth will look like in the region.
Katrina OhArticle Title: Australia’s Prime Minister Surprised by State’s Secret Deal With China
Date Published: November 13, 2018
Publisher: New York Times
Link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/13/world/australia/victoria-china-scott-morrison.html
Australian government quietly signed a deal with China to participate in the controversial Belt and Road Initiative. This agreement surprised Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who was in opposition to Australia’s involvement in the Initiative. Critics of the deal believe China is using grand infrastructure projects to win friends and exert global influence. Meanwhile, those in favor of the deal, like the premier of Victoria, argue that the deal facilitates trade between the two countries and brings investment opportunities. The larger significance of this deal may be that China has developed a new approach to selling its project, one that sidesteps the national government and courts the states directly.
Katrina OhThis clip produced by the Financial Times examines Chinese and Japanese approach to conducting businesses in Africa. Compared to Japanese firms, Chinese ones are more aggressive in Kenya. Currently the Chinese have invested in Kenya's largest infrastructure project that will connect Mombasa to Nairobi. Unlike the Chinese projects of 5-10 years ago, current projects are more carefully thought out. The Kenya Railway project is at present on budget and ahead of schedule.
I foresee myself playing this particular clip for my students to illustrate the changes and continuities of long-distance trade. My AP World History course studies post-classical trade routes like the Silk Road Trade Route and Indian Ocean Trade Route that connected China with various parts of the world. I would use this clip to highlight for my students the continuities in long-distance trade within the Indian Ocean World. One can argue that while the volume of trade has substantially increased over time, the actors remain the same, as evidenced by the bilateral trade between Chinese and Kenya.
Natali RamonUpon watching the video on China’s plan for the Belt and Road initiative, specifically in ASEAN, I was really surprised with the attitude with which this video presented and open border. The video focused on the border between China and Myanmar in regards to how both nations benefit from frequent interaction. It was specifically refreshing to hear one of the representatives say that the main goal to was to create an arrangement that maximizes the benefit, and minimizes the negatives for all countries involved. I watched this video in awe and skepticism. First of all, it was uplifting to see a video that shows such a positive attitude about collaboration across borders. When I saw the segments about the border being opened and people from Myanmar coming into China to work and going home back to their country in the evening, I was reminded about a time in which the US-Mexico border was not militarized and a lot of Mexican migrants came to work seasonally to eventually go home. On the other hand, I was also skeptical about the video in that I wanted to know what Chinese nationalists have to say about having an open border. We are all too familiar with the attitudes US “patriots” have towards the border between the US and Mexico and I was curious to know if there are any attitudes in China that are comparable to the ones that exist here in the US.
Natali RamonUpon seeing the video on closing the gap between China and Africa, I had a ton of questions and connections with how other developed countries have utilized China as their production workshop. First and foremost, I noted that the purpose of this video was to highlight the benefits of China’s investment into Africa. China needs a place to produce and Africa needs investment. This trading arrangement will eventually make it so that the millions of labels that read “Made in China” will eventually read “Made in Africa”. The workers interviewed had a lot of positive things to say about the job opportunities that are opening up in China, however, given the literature I’ve read on working conditions in sweatshops in China and worker’s rights, I was very curious to know about what injustices are taking place in Africa as a result of the factories that are opening up. Additionally, throughout the course, we have covered environmental challenges that China faces as a result of the factories, and I was curious to know what environmental issues will develop in Africa as a result of the workshops that are being developed. I was most struck by an interview of a worker from Hisense in which he said he was pleased with the knowledge he has gained in learning to fix refrigerators and televisions. He mentioned that someday he hoped to open his own small shop to fix appliances. This interview raised a few questions about the possibilities of opening a small business in an age of large corporations. I also wondered if the governments in Africa are doing anything to stimulate and support the development of small mom and pop shops.
Natali RamonI watched David Shambaugh’s lecture, China Goes Global: The Partial Power and I was taken aback by the tone of his lecture. I thought that Shambaugh had a lot of well researched points but I also feel that he judged China in a way that was not fair. I feel that to a large extent he measured China with the standards that one would measure a more established country in Europe or the US. I don’t think he took into account that only recently has China been rising as a giant global economic power and that they still have a long way to go in their development. For example, Shambaugh mentioned that when it comes to China’s global governance policy, they tend to punch below their weight given its size. Most notably, he cited China’s small contribution into the UN’s peace keeping operations. When he mentioned this fact, I thought about the initial reasons why the UN was created, and it was largely created as a result of the world wars that deeply impacted the Western Hemisphere. Given that the US and other European countries are the biggest actors in the UN, it only makes sense that they contribute more to the UN. Given that China is still a growing country on its way to development, Shamabaugh’s critiques are given a bit too soon. Perhaps in the coming decades when China is developed enough to really be in the same bracket as the rest of the world powers it would be fair to compare their contributions to the other world powers.
Natali RamonStephen,
I am so glad you delved into this source. The videos and documents I viewed for this lecture mostly spoke on the positive aspects of China’s involvement in African. As I viewed these sources, I kept thinking about the perspective about the China-Africa relationship that was not highlighted. It seems that the sources you analyzed this week address the questions I have. I once again pose the question I asked on our last lecture about how China will avoid making the same mistakes the western powers have made in the past and how they will make new mistakes we have yet to see. I am confident that China’s involvement in Africa will reveal a lot about the new economic dilemmas that will come about through the latest economic interactions.
Christine XuAccording to the article, The BRI seems “Xi’s century project”. This huge infrastructure project is a Chinese effort to improve transportation and increase trade across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the middle East. The idea is welcomed. China is going to invest trillions of dollars on roads, railways, ports and power stations in the countries. China’s money and expertise could be a big help in spreading wealth and prosperity.
On the other hand, there are worries and fears. First, the people in these countries are very worried about the level of debt that these countries are taking on in regard to China. According to a Washington D. C. -based report, the Center for Global Development says 23 of the 68 countries where China is investing for the BRI projects are at high risk of debt problems. Another eight, including Djibouti, may have debt problems linked to future projects, although China argues that its investments are aimed at increasing trade and helping developing countries. Also, environmental experts warn that many of these projects could cause irreversible damage in highly biodiverse areas. According to a major World Bank analysis of nearly 3000 projects, Chinese foreign investors and companies often predominate in poorer nations with weak environmental regulations and controls. This makes those nations prime “pollution havens” for China and Chinese enterprises, as the latter wouldn’t take any blame for environmental damage caused by there activities in the host countries. In addition, some experts said that BRI as also a way of buying long-term political influence across the globe. And that local politicians may benefit more than their people. Also, there are maybe problems and questions about human rights or corruption.
Christine XuAccording to the article there is general lack of confidence in Chinese president Xin Jinping to do the right thing regarding world affairs. The chart shows that West/ European and many other counties show less conference in Xi Jingping.
According to the Washington Post a decade ago the United States and other Western leaders were urging China to become a global “ stakeholder.” But Mr. Xi does not loo like the cooperative partner. Instead, he having concentrated power in his own hands, now seeks to reinforce the authority of the Communist Party in all areas of life, at the expense of the rule of law, political dissent, private enterprise and even privacy itself. For example, a new system of social monitoring will minutely record and rate the activities of every citizen, while storing their facial images for easy recognition.
He touted his BRI project to pour hundreds of billions of dollars of infrastructure investments into countries across Asia, Africa, and middle east. However, there are worries and fears in these countries about this project regarding high risk of debt, irreversible environmental damage, and human rights or corruption problems.
Mr. Xi wants to strengthen his personal power. Analysts suspect his neo-totalitarian ideology will be written into the party's constitution, putting him on a par with Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. They will watch to see whether a successor is positioned to replace him after a second five-year term, or whether Mr. Xi will entrench himself in the style of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Sources: Washingtonpost
Christine XuThe chart shows that a median of 66% across 25 countries say the Chinese government does not respect the personal freedoms of its people.
Sources: wiki
Christine XuThere are at least 3 reasons for Chinese investment in Africa: fuel for a growing economy, political motivations, and good business sense.
China has boosted African oil and mining sectors in exchange for advantageous trade deals. Chinese companies are also diversifying their business pursuits in Africa, in infrastructure, manufacturing, telecommunications, and agricultural sectors. However, China’s activity in Africa has faced criticism from Western and African civil society over its controversial business practices, as well as its failure to promote good governance and human rights. Although a number of African governments appear to be content with China’s policy, Beijing’s complex relationship with the continent has challenged its policy of noninterference in the affairs of African governments.
Chinese investment in Africa has helped increase economic growth. However, China’s economic slowdown and the drop in commodity prices have squeezed growth rates. While GDP in sub-Saharan Africa grew by 5 percent in 2011, growth was set to drop to its lowest level in more than twenty years at 1.4 percent in 2016, according to the International Monetary Fund’s Regional Economic Outlook.
Some analysts say China’s activities in Africa—from building infrastructure to providing medical support—are goodwill for later investment opportunities or an effort to stockpile international support for contentious political issues. Experts from College of William & Mary, found a link between Chinese assistance and the alignment of recipient countries with Beijing’s UN voting and its One China principle. Accusations of exploitative behavior by China in Africa have prompted questions about the future of the relationship. However, experts suggest that while China’s economic footprint in Africa is growing, it represents only a fraction of China’s economic activity around the world.
Sources: cfr.org