China, region-centric infrastructure drives and regionalism in Africa
Abstract
This article provides a structural reading of the complexities of
region-centric infrastructure drives, African regionalism and the
role of China. Four structural layers underlying China’s
engagement in the region are presented: the global infrastructure
race; Pan-African continental connectivity; the intra-regional
infrastructure race; and bilateral funding of regional infrastructure
projects. The article finds that the global infrastructure race
catalyses regionalism in Africa, offering agency of choice to East
African Community (EAC) member states to select development
partners interested in implementing region-centric infrastructure
projects. While the ideological coherence between China’s Belt
and Road Initiative (BRI) and Pan-African continental connectivity
has advanced the idea of African regionalism, regionalism also
appears to have been slowed by a Chinese-induced intra-regional
infrastructure race and China’s bilateral approach with EAC
member states. For regionalism to be successful, member states
need to position themselves strategically in engaging China.
Citation
SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRSPublisher
Routledge
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
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