African Shenzhen : China’s special economic zones in Africa

Journal of Modern African Studies, 49, 1 (2011) pp.27-54

This article examines recent Chinese efforts to construct a series of official economic cooperation zones in Africa. These zones are a central platform in China’s announced strategy of engagement in Africa as ‘mutual benefit’. We analyse the background, motives and implementation of the zones, and argue that they form a unique, experimental model of development cooperation in Africa: market-based decisions and investment by Chinese companies are com- bined with support and subsidies from an Asian ‘developmental state’. Though this cooperation provides a promising new approach to sustainable in- dustrialisation, we also identify serious political, economic and social challenges. Inadequate local learning and local participation could affect the ability of the zones to catalyse African industrialisation. The synergy between Chinese en- terprises, the Chinese government and African governments has been evolving through practice. A case study of Egypt provides insight into this learning process.

Author(s): Deborah Brautigam, Tang Xiaoyang