‘Journalists’ and public perceptions of the politics of china’s soft power in Kenya under the “look east” foreign policy’

Abstract

Although economic and political ties between China and Africa have grown significantly in recent years, resulting in numerous studies on the possible implications of these deepening ties, relatively few studies have focused on public perceptions of these increasingly cozy China-Africa ties (Gadzala and Hanusch, 2010). The increased involvement of China in Africa has been one of the most controversial geopolitical developments on the continent in recent years (Wasserman, 2013, p. 1). According to a 2010 Afrobarometer report, there are limited “systematic analyses of African perceptions on the rapidly growing China-Africa links and their underlying determinants.” Audience surveys mapping CCTV Africa’s reception across the continent are not publicly available (Gagliardone, 2013, p. 10). It is observed in the Afrobarometer report that “as China deepens its cooperation with Africa, it is essential to critically observe African perceptions of its increasingly important partner.” This chapter therefore seeks to contribute to the ongoing debate on perceptions of China-Africa relations from the perspective of journalists and the public as audience in Kenya.