The dragon shapes its image: a study of Chinese media influence strategies in Africa

As China continues its human, cultural and commercial expansion into Africa it has a clear strategic interest in managing its image on the continent. The leadership in both its government and private sectors know China must find ways to counteract negative reports that accuse China and some African...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inAfrican studies quarterly Vol. 16; no. 3-4; pp. 161 - 174
Main Author Leslie, Michael
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Gainesville Center for African Studies 01.12.2016
African Studies Quarterly
Subjects
Allegations
Analysis
Chinese foreign relations
Cooperation
Diplomacy
Economic growth
Exploitation
Fear & phobias
Foreign policy
Geopolitics
Infrastructure
Investment
Journalism
Leadership
Mass media
Mass media images
Media coverage
Mines
Mining accidents & safety
Neocolonialism
News media
Press and politics
Profiteering
Public opinion
Trade
Trust
Western society
China
Africa
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:As China continues its human, cultural and commercial expansion into Africa it has a clear strategic interest in managing its image on the continent. The leadership in both its government and private sectors know China must find ways to counteract negative reports that accuse China and some African leaders and their regimes of being complicit in China's accelerating exploitation of African labor and resources, undermining and weakening regulatory controls, and illegal profiteering in their countries. In addition, there are continuing attempts by Western media to portray China as the new colonizer in Africa, creating a perception that China is the new bully on the block, and positioning it as a country that should be watched and monitored with suspicion regarding its Africa intentions. It would appear that the continued expansion of Chinese trade and investment in Africa will depend on China's success in developing and deploying a vigorous "soft" and "smart power" strategy that counters such allegations and media representations. This paper examines the extant research on Chinese government media-related strategies in Africa, suggesting directions future research on this topic might take.
ISSN:2152-2448
2152-2448