An appraisal of the drivers behind South Africa and China relations

Bibliographic Data

ID6030360
AuthorsButholezwe Mtombeni (0000-0002-0370-6856, Nelson Mandela University, corresponding author), Oliver Mtapuri (0000-0001-7698-9482, University of KwaZulu-Natal)
Year2024
Volume22
Issue3
Pages794-810
Publication date2024-07-02
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAfrican Identities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1472-5843 • E-ISSN: 1472-5851
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14725843.2022.2125364
OpenAlexW4297998899
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited18

The relationship between South Africa and China has not reached its full potential but has gathered great impetus and simultaneously stirred up controversy. Two important issues that have arisen concerning this relationship are whether the engagements between the two countries are mutually beneficial or asymmetrically favour one country over the other. This paper interrogates South Africa-China relations between 2009 and 2019, an epoch in which the relationship between the two nations became convoluted as much for what it entailed as for what it excluded. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants, and the information that was gathered was supplemented with a review of the literature within the context of the relationship. We found that South Africa-China relations go beyond the issues of minerals and other related natural resources. We also found that while there are elements of asymmetry in this relationship in economic terms, this asymmetry is somewhat exaggerated. We, therefore, recommend that regardless of this exaggeration, South Africa must place itself in a position to define terms of engagement with China and put in place measures to demarcate such perceived asymmetry

China · Development economics · Economics · Exaggeration · Geography · Political science · Sociology · International Development and Aid · Law · Psychology · South African History and Culture

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