Dr. Chris Alden

Head of the China in Africa Project, South African Institute of International Affairs

 The China in Africa Project formally began in late 2006 but actually was built upon the longstanding research myself and others have been doing at the SAIIA and the University of the Witwatersrand since 1992 through the East Asia Project. We have a good working relationship with our counterparts in China, and have hosted them numerous times as well as held jointly sponsored workshops and conferences. Our main aim is to continue this cooperation so that we build upon the successes of the past. Scholars can perform a number of valuable roles as participants in policy dialogues, instigators of public debates, and by providing platforms at universities and research centers for further discussion on China-Africa relations.

In the broadest sense, these provide knowledge exchange and a sharing of perspectives between Chinese and African policymakers and people.  With regard to specific sectors, research think tanks can improve upon the knowledge about a given issue – for instance the role of energy resources in the domestic and foreign policies of a particular African country and China – and in doing so, give policymakers a better sense of the implications of different approaches to building relations. 

The most important thing at this stage is to recognize that for African scholars, understanding China better is a priority - in all its manifestations (political, economic, cultural) as a bridge to better policy as well as richer scholarship. I would like to see a China-Africa studies academic association with an annual conference convened alternatively in Africa and in China - this would, in my view, have huge long term benefits in solidifying the scholarship in both regions.