21st-Century Chinese Africa 21st-Century Chinese Africa Policy in a Multipolar World and Policy in a Multipolar World and

the Use of Soft Powerthe Use of Soft Power

Emerging Africa conference, Pécs, 14 June 2012István TARRÓSY , PhD, assistant professor,

Dept. of Political Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pécs

America-centred, unipolar world?

The cob-web of interconnectedness

A ‘world society’ A ‘world society’ with sub-national with sub-national and supranational and supranational levels of levels of interactions. interactions. (Burton, 1972)(Burton, 1972)

The semi-periphery

• Centre states – states on the periphery

• Globalisation increases the gap between them

• No hegemonic superpower• 10 power centres form the new

world order multipolar world• New dynamism coming from the

‘in-between’ semi-periphery • ”Final stage” either a world

society, or a ”barbarian” age

The state remains a significant actor• Our global world has two

dimensions at the same time: a) state-centric, b) transnational, multicentric

• Complex interdependence has an influence on the relations between the state and other actors

• Castells (1996-98): the new form for the state: ”network-state”

New types of power New types of power possessed by different possessed by different types of actorstypes of actors

IR do not only mean IR do not only mean inter-national (inter-inter-national (inter-state) relations any state) relations any longer!longer!

Complex interconnectedness and interdependence

• Drawing upon Dirk Messner (2002) some problem types:

- Safeguarding biodiversity- Migration- Pollution (of seas e.g.)- Corruption- Mega-cities- Stability of the international

financial system- Unemployment- Democratic deficit across

government architecture, ...

Global challenges, Global challenges, problems cannot be problems cannot be answered, sloved by only answered, sloved by only one entity (state or other one entity (state or other actor)actor)

There is an increasing There is an increasing need for collaboration.need for collaboration.

China, the dragon at full throttle• From 1979: significant

development on the way to become a global actor (pole)

• Ramo (2004): today the ”new physics of power” is attached to China

• Pragmatic foreign policy + the use of ”smart power”

• Deeply interconnected with other actors in East and South-East Asia

• Actor with the ability to set the agenda

Transforming IR

“China’s soft power and increasingly sophisticated diplomacy will transform international relations” (Kurlantzick, 2007)

aim: “changing countries’ views of China”

how? what tools?

What we can see is: China ”Goes Global”

• 1991: 3 billion $ FDI• 2003: 35 billion $ FDI • 2007: 92 billion $ FDI

What to do with?

Fears? US-China competition? Where is Europe?

Chinese soft power in the making

• Today, for China soft power means more than cultural diplomacy – it ranges from pop culture via aid to trade, and to investments.

• To promote Chinese values (going back to Confucius and his Analects) and partnership (and to get rid of the ‘yellow peril’ attitude)

• Using ‘offensive’ media, arts, film, sports, world events, technologies

ruan guoli ruan guoli to increase to increase zonghe guoli zonghe guoli (=Comprehensive (=Comprehensive National Power, CNP), National Power, CNP), therefore, it is an issue therefore, it is an issue for national politicsfor national politics

To show the world that it To show the world that it is good and worth co-is good and worth co-operating (=making operating (=making business) with China.business) with China.

Soft China in Africa?• …as well as hard China –

“Chinese packages”• Pragmatic Africa policy – “3

faces of power”: might, money and minds (Lampton, 2008)

• But: Do moral values matter?• Ideology concerned? South-

South co-operation?

CIs across the African continent

Some concluding remarks

• China: Not only raw materials – much more to/in the ‘package’

• Africa also wants more from any of the partners

• Important philosophical-ideological framework going back to the NAM

• Strategic thinking, clear messages, different tone: win-win(-win), handled with care

• For Africa: this attitude can be good to re-discover self-confidence

“The challenge for many parts of Africa that were decultured is to rediscover their cultural heritages, and use them to both reconnect with the past and help direct them in their political, spiritual, economic, and social development.”(Maathai, 2009)