China: An African viewpoint
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E-mail China.org.cn, May 8, 2013
New empirical research conducted by Professor Barry Sautman from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Professor Yan Hairong from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University has challenged typical notions of how people in African countries view China. Such typical ideas are generally built on the back anecdotal evidence and propagated by media and scholars. By contrast, the new research, and the article published on the back of it, was driven by empirical research, including considerable random samples and survey conducted at universities in nine different African countries.
Three conclusions were drawn from the research:
First, Sino-African relations are, in many African people’s eyes, more positive than described in the Western media and opinions are actually far more complicated and diverse than the report suggests.
Second, the results of the research is inconsistent with the picture painted in the Western media which holds that only the elites of Chinese and African societies view relations between the two countries as positive.
Finally, research into different elements, including, age, sex and education, which influenced people’s opinions, showed that nationality more than other factors is the prime reason for differences, being greatly impacted by the political stance towards China of election candidates in those countries. The views expressed in the Western media also had an impact.
Table one: How does China's development model impact on country?
|
Countries: |
Very positively: (%) |
Comparatively positively: (%) |
Irrelevant: (%) |
Negatively: (%) |
Undecided: (%) |
Number of respondents : |
|
Botswana |
16.4 |
39.2 |
15.5 |
9.5 |
19.4 |
232 |
|
Egypt |
39.3 |
36.7 |
11.7 |
6.6 |
5.6 |
196 |
|
Ethiopia |
33.0 |
52.8 |
4.6 |
6.1 |
3.6 |
197 |
|
Ghana |
44.4 |
38.8 |
4.8 |
2.0 |
10.00 |
250 |
|
Kenya |
36.2 |
47.4 |
5.6 |
4.6 |
6.1 |
196 |
|
Nigeria |
34.5 |
40.6 |
6.1 |
3.6 |
15.2 |
197 |
|
South Africa |
3.0 |
43.7 |
1.5 |
2.0 |
49.7 |
197 |
|
Sudan |
44.0 |
40.5 |
4.4 |
6.3 |
4.8 |
252 |
|
Zambia |
22.0 |
52.9 |
8.4 |
10.5 |
6.3 |
191 |
|
Total (%) |
30.9 |
43.3 |
7.0 |
5.7 |
13.2 |
100 |
|
Total respondents |
589 |
826 |
133 |
108 |
252 |
1,908 |
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