Is China able to export its developmental model? Upstream–downstream integration in Sino–African petroleum engagement

Abstract

This article examines the upstream–downstream integration model in the context of Sino–African petroleum engagement (in four countries in particular) as a means to evaluate China’s capacity to export its own experiences or development model to other developing countries. The discourse of so-called developmental resource nationalism provides the theoretical orientation. The article finds that China is able to share its development experiences to promote industrialisation and improve local socioeconomic conditions through concrete project building. However, the effect of such ‘exports’ is problematic and is dependent on several specific conditions. The article concludes that China is not in a position to export to other countries a fully-fledged or revolutionary developmental model, even in a narrowly defined industrial sector.

Keywords:

• China
• Africa
• petroleum
• developmentalism
• developmental resource nationalism

Notes

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 For information about the CNPC in Algeria, see http://www.cnpc.com.cn/cnpc/Algeria/country_index.shtml.

2 For information about the CNPC in Chad, see http://www.cnpc.com.cn/cnpc/Chad/country_index.shtml.

3 For information about the CNPC in Niger, see http://www.cnpc.com.cn/cnpc/Niger/country_index.shtml.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Xiaoguang Wang

Dr. Xiaoguang Wang received PhD in Political Science from Free University of Berlin. His research interests include energy politics and international political economy.

Zhen Wang

Prof. Zhen Wang received PhD in Finance from Guanghua School of Management at Peking University. He is also a Fulbright Visiting Research Scholar at Darden Graduate School of Business, UVA. His research interests include energy finance and energy strategy.