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Abstract
South Africa's burgeoning relationship with China exposes the increasing complexities of its post-apartheid international relations. On one hand bilateral relations have deepened since 1998, due to the increasing complementarities with South Africa's foreign policy priorities that emphasise developmental pragmatism and a Southward orientation within the broader African context. On the other hand this relationship emphasises the deeper schisms within South African society itself, where divergent and multi-layered perspectives on South Africa's post-apartheid identity and relationship with China, the country's largest trading partner, remains unresolved. This article maps out the nature of China–South Africa relations through a thematic approach. This allows for nuanced consideration of South Africa's contemporary foreign policy, one that remains compressed between a combination of external and domestic factors.
Acknowledgements
This article is partially based on earlier work by the authors published as ‘South Africa and China – the making of a partnership’, SAIIA Occasional Paper, South African Institute of International Affairs: Johannesburg, August 2014.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1. Examples, including various Zapiro cartoons during South Africa's joining of the BRICS grouping and hosting of the BRICS Summit in 2013.
2. For the full text of the Pretoria Declaration see www.peopledaily.comen/english/200004/25/3ng20000425_39697.html, accessed 17 May 2014.
3. For the full text of former President of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao's speech, see: ‘Enhance China - Africa Unity and Cooperation To Build a Harmonious World’, Speech at University of Pretoria, South Africa, 7 February Citation2007, http://www.dfa.gov.za/docs/speeches/2007/jintao0207.htm, accessed on 26 September 2013.
4. One factor was the new trade rules that were negotiated at the WTO in 2005, which opened up many African textile sectors to market forces, see: Mutume, G. ‘Loss of textile market costs African jobs’, April Citation2006, http://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/april-2006/loss-textile-market-costs-african-jobs, accessed 30 June 2014. Another example is the alleged dumping of coated paper originating in China and Republic of Korea, see: International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa.‘ Investigation into the alleged dumping of coated paper originating in or imported from the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Korea: Preliminary determination’, 445, 20 August 2013.
5. As expressed by a DIRCO official at the South Africa–China: Diplomatic Relations at 15 Years Ambassadorial Forum, 19 September 2013.
6. Anonymous source. The training involved practice for landing on aircraft carriers, which the South African's had learned from sub-contracted work with US forces during the Iraq war. The US government allegedly tried to block parts for flight training equipment upon learning of the scheme.
7. Anonymous source suggested that President Jacob Zuma and SACP head, Gwede Mantashe had to exert pressure on NEC members to attend.
8. See 2011 Sanya Declaration, 2012 Delhi Declaration, 2013 Durban Declaration, 2014 Fortaleza Declaration and 2015 Ufa Declaration.
9. CCP delegation visit to SAIIA in February 2013.
10. As expressed by a DIRCO official at the South Africa–China: Diplomatic Relations at 15 Years Ambassadorial Forum, 19 September 2013.
11. Notably, analysts from China provide alternative figures based on Chinese estimates that are much higher, suggesting that China's FDI stock in South Africa has moved from $44 million in 2003 to over $4 billion in 2011. Yet a more recent media report states that China's total capital investment between 2003–2014 was of R13.33bn (see: Ensor, L. 2014, March 12. ‘Bilateral trade with China on the increase’, Business Day, retrieved from: http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/trade/2014/03/12/bilateral-trade-with-china-on-the-increase). Statistical anomalies like these are a continuing source of contention at ministerial level.
12. In a reflection of the Chinese response to changing mining regulations and BEE requirements for example, East Asian Metals, a subsidiary of Sinosteel, purchased a 60% share of ASA Metals in the Dilokong Mine in Limpopo (itself a joint venture with Limpopo province arranged in 1997); for more examples see Alden C and Y, Wu pp.18–22.
13. This is seen in the expansion of Hisense and the FAW automotive manufacturing plants Heraldlive, ‘Chinese unveil plan for R18bn Coega investment’, 18 March 2014, www.heraldlive.co.za/chinese-unveil-plan-for-r18bn-coega-investment/, accessed 22 June 2014.
14. Observation made by M Qobo, participant in the SAIIA-Heinrich Böll Foundation (HBF) event, ‘China–South Africa: Unpacking a Strategic Partnership’, SAIIA, November 2012, http://www.saiia.org.za/events/china-south-africa-unpacking-a-strategic-partnership.
15. Also remarked by South African policymakers. Such as: Republic of South Africa. Department of International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Marius Fransman, at the ‘China–South Africa Diplomatic Relations at 15 Years: Pretoria's View’, keynote address at South Africa–China: Diplomatic Relations at 15 Years Ambassadorial Forum, 19 September 2013, http://www.dirco.gov.za/docs/speeches/2013/frans0919.html, accessed 3 October 2013 and Deputy Minister of Public Works Jeremy Cronin, remarks at the National Day of the People's Republic of China, 27 September 2013, http://www.dfa.gov.za/docs/speeches/2013/chin0930.html, 5 November 2013.
16. Numerous conversations with DTI officials.
17. For other examples on public perceptions on China–South Africa, see Wu Y. 2013, March 1. ‘The political and diplomatic implications of social media: The cases of China and South Africa’, African East-Asian Affairs (The China Monitor), pp. 70–87.
18. As noted by Tony Twine (senior economist at Econometrix) in Campbell K, ‘Some challenges ahead as SA's new ‘partnership' with China takes shape’, Engineering News, 5 November Citation2010, http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/some-challenges-ahead-as-sas-new-partnership-with-china-takes-shape-2010--11--05, accessed 30 January 2011.
19. Remark made by a South African official at the South Africa–China Diplomatic Relations at 15 Years Ambassadorial Forum, hosted by AISA, DIRCO and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, Pretoria, 19 September 2013.
20. For examples of public commentary see: Harber A, ‘Chinese ‘soft diplomacy' enters South Africa's media space’, BDlive, 27 June Citation2013, http://www.bdlive.co.za/opinion/columnists/2013/06/27/chinese-soft-diplomacy-enters-south-africas-media-space, accessed 1 July 2013; and Trewhela P, ‘China–ANC alliance a threat to media freedom in SA’, Politicsweb, 12 March 2014, http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71639?oid=565733&sn=Detail&pid=71639, accessed 13 March 2014.