Podcast appearances and mentions of lina benabdallah

China has made significant inroads into much of the global south, a trend that does not always receive adequate attention in the West. China's image in those countries has deteriorated in recent years, and there appears to be an assumption that this is universal. However, polling data from Africa and the Middle East show that China's reputation in the developing world is in much better shape. In today's podcast, we are joined by Dr. Lina Benabdallah. Dr. Lina Benabdallah is a Wake Forest University assistant professor of politics and international affairs. Her research interests include international relations theory, foreign policy, critical theories of power, past politics, and knowledge production and hegemony in South-South relations. Dr. Lina will provide an overview of China's influence in the Global South, as well as why China is viewed positively by African countries. She will also discuss how China gained positive impressions from Africans and how this affects the global stage.TakeawaysOverview of China's influence on the Global SouthThe difference between Western perspectives and the Global South to ChinaAfrica's positive impressions of ChinaPosition of Africans in the US-China conflictChina's influence in terms of relations and production QuotesPositive impressions and perceptions of China in Africa come from these tangible projects, goods, and infrastructure that people can use to make their life easier - Dr. LinaChina is identifying itself as a member of the Global South family. This makes them more appealing to countries in the Global South, as well as a model for countries aspiring to be great nations. - Dr. Lina Featured in this EpisodeJonathan FultonNonresident Senior Fellow for Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council. Assistant Professor of Political Science at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi Profile: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/jonathan-fulton/Linkedin: https://ae.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-fulton-2627414bTwitter: https://twitter.com/jonathandfultonDr. Lina BenabdallahAssistant Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Wake Forest Universityhttps://linabenabdallah.com https://twitter.com/lbenabdallah Her Book:Shaping the future of Power, Knowledge, Production, and Network Building in China-Africa relationshttps://www.amazon.com/Shaping-Future-Power-Network-Building-China-Africa/dp/0472074547 https://www.press.umich.edu/10194365/shaping_the_future_of_power The Article mentioned:China's Soft Power Advantage in Africahttps://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/africa/2021-12-23/chinas-soft-power-advantage-africa Chapters00:00 Introduction02:17 An Overview of China's outreach to the Global South09:10 Western perspective of China versus the perspective of the Global South16:11 Reasons why China has positive impressions in Africa 24:13 Africans in the US-China conflict35:58 Developing the social capital of Africa45:06 Measuring China's influence in terms of relations and productions51:57 Professional approach to learning China's influence in the Global South This podcast was produced by Heart cast Media.https://www.heartcastmedia.com

As China and the United States increasingly compete for power in key areas of U.S. influence, great power conflict looms. China's Rise in the Global South examines China's behavior as a rising power in two key global south regions: the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. Dawn Murphy compares and analyzes thirty years of China's interactions with these regions in several areas: politics, economics, foreign aid, and military. From the Belt and Road Initiative to the founding of new cooperation forums and special envoys, Dr. Murphy's book offers an in-depth look at China's foreign policy approach to the countries it considers its partners in South-South cooperation. In a conversation with Lina Benabdallah held on August 19, 2022, Dawn C. Murphy argues that China is constructing an alternative international order. 0:00- 3:33  Introduction 3:33-7:50 China's Alternative World Order 7:50-17:45 China in the Middle East and Africa 17:45-25:45 Chinese-Global South mediation and diplomacy 25:45- 30:08 China studies during COVID 30:08- Economic slowdown About the speakers: https://ncuscr.org/events/chinas-rise-global-south Follow Lina Benabdallah on Twitter: @LBenabdallah Follow Dawn Murphy on Twitter: @DawnMurphyChina Subscribe to the National Committee on YouTube for video of this interview. Follow us on Twitter (@ncuscr) and Instagram (@ncuscr). Disclaimer: The views expressed in this interview are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the National Defense University, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

In this episode, we explore the concept of digitization, new media, and its impact on democratization in Africa. Our guest is Catherine Muya, a lawyer currently leading the digital rights department at ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa. In her current role she leads the implementation of various projects aimed at promoting online free expression and an open internet.Muya speaks with our non-resident fellow Wanjiku Ngugi and helps us interrogate the place of women in politics in the digital age and various aspects of digital political communication in Kenya, and Africa by extension, today. Books, Links, & ArticlesApply to become a 2022-23 non-resident fellowThis Week in Africa Newsletter, July 8 "China Opens Its First Political Party School in Africa" by Kester Kenn KlomegahNon-resident fellow Wanjiku NgugiCatherine Muya"Tweets That Chill: Analyzing Online Violence Against Women in Politics" from the National Democratic InstituteThe Kenya Media Assessment 2021 from InternewsARTICLE 19Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics: How the Internet Era is Transforming Politics in Kenya by Nanjala NyabolaPrevious Episodes We MentionedEp. 65: A conversation with Jeffrey Paller on urban politics, democracy in Ghana, and moreEp. 96: A conversation with Lina Benabdallah on the link between China and Africa

On episode 51, Juliet and Erik welcome back Dr. Hong Zhang to discuss the history, interests, corporate structures and agency of International Chinese infrastructure contractors. Discussion is based on Hong Zhang's May 2021 working paper for SAIS-China Africa Research Initiative entitled: Chinese International Contractors in Africa: Structure and Agency.   Hong Zhang is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins University's SIAS-CARI and a 2021-22 China and the World Program Fellow at Columbia University. She received her PhD in Public Policy from the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University in 2021. She is one of the best thinkers and writers on all things Belt and Road and we were lucky to have her back on the show! Here are this episode's recommendations!Erik:1. Benedetta, dir. Paul Verhoeven2. Encanto, dir. Jared Bush, Byron Howard, and Charise Castro Smith (+ the Pixar short that plays at the beginning!)Hong Zhang:1. "Archaeologies of the Belt and Road Initiative," Made in China Journal2. James Reilly, Orchestration: China's Economic Statecraft Across Asia and Europe, Oxford University Press3. Lina Benabdallah, Shaping the Future of Power: Knowledge Production and Network-Building in China-Africa  Relations, University of Michigan PressJuliet:1. 狗熊有话说 Bear Talk podcast2. Sustainable Asia  podcast

Welcome back to a new year of Ufahamu Africa! Kim and Rachel talk about some of your and our favorite episodes of 2021, the big events that affected Africa in 2021, and more!  Books, Links, & ArticlesUfahamu Africa on Foreign Policy PlaylistThe Lawfare Podcast: Making Sense of the Crisis in Ethiopia"The Enemy in Her Imagination: A Fable" by  Elleni Centime Zeleke"Take the Soul from Everyone, and the Liberty of All" by Rama Salla Dieng  The West Africa Autocratization Tracker by Expédit Ologou    Senegal's violent protests reveal that its long-stable democracy is fragile, after all by Kamissa Camara  Shaping the Future of Power Knowledge Production and Network building in China-Africa Relations by Linda Benabdallah It's Time to Up Our Democracy Promotion Game by Michael McFaul   "China's Soft-Power Advantage in Africa" by Lina Benabdallah Benin's Militant Problem May Worsen After Last Month's Election by Christina Cottiero"A Look Back at Significant Events that Shaped Africa in 2021" Previous Episodes We Mentioned Ep. 9: A conversation with Dr. Laura Seay on conflict and minerals in DRCEp. 36: A conversation with Hilary Matfess on women and Boko HaramEp. 48: A conversation with Michael Woldemariam on the political shakeup in the Horn of AfricaEp. 84: A Lunar New Year conversation with Jamie MonsonEp. 97: A conversation with Lina Benabdallah on the link between China and AfricaEp. 103: A conversation with Cyril Obi of the African Peacebuilding Network

In this bonus recording, hear Ufahamu Africa host Kim Dionne read Laura Seay's review of Shaping the Future of Power: Knowledge Production and Network-Building in China-Africa Relations, a book by Lina Benabdallah (@LBenabdallah). The review was published in last year's African Politics Summer Reading Spectacular (#APSRS20), and this recording is being shared as part of a collaboration with The Monkey Cage (@monkeycageblog), a blog on politics and political science at The Washington Post. … More BONUS: Hear Laura Seay’s review of Lina Benabdallah’s book on China-Africa relations

Before the boring neutrality of the “Global South”, there was the counter hegemonic posture of the Third World.  The historic site for the official formation of Third World identity was the 1955 Asian-African conference when delegates from 30, mostly newly independent states descended on Bandung in Indonesia to discuss their mutual ambitions for post-colonial world-making. Then, the affinities between Africa and Asia were obvious and deeply felt.  What has become of this Afro-Asian solidarity? What about China in Africa? And Africans in Asia?  Our guests for this episode of AIAC Talk are Lina Benabdallah, AIAC contributing editor and Assistant Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Wake Forest University. She is the author of  'Shaping the Future of Power: Knowledge Production and Network-Building in China-Africa Relations' (University of Michigan Press, 2020). Abdou Rehim Lema, from Benin, who is a Yenching Scholar of Peking University, where he completed a Master's Degree in China Studies, focusing on Politics and International Relations and Christopher J. Lee, an Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, author of six books, including Making a World after Empire: The Bandung Moment and Its Political Afterlives (2010, 2nd edition 2019).

Within international relations theory and foreign policy circles, there is considerable interest in understanding China’s rise to power. In an exciting new book, my guest argues that China’s various types of encounters with countries in the Global South are very different from the behaviour and investment strategies of the US and European countries. In Shaping the future of power: Knowledge Production and network-building in China-Africa Relations, Lina Benabdallah explores the integrated roles of social relations, knowledge production and power in China’s foreign relations. She argues that it is simply not enough to look at the amount of loans, aid and foreign direct investments originating from China. While these material factors are important, we mustn’t ignore the investments made in people-to-people relations and human resource development in China-Africa relations. Indeed, relations and relationality are central to China’s foreign policy and diplomatic conduct. In the book, Lina examines how China deploys social capital and relational productive power on the African continent through knowledge production via human resource development and professionalization programs. Chinese investments in human resource development, she argues, expand Beijing’s network of connections with military officers, civil servants, journalists and regular citizens. They also act as spaces for expert knowledge production, and norm diffusion.Lina Benabdallah is an assistant professor of politics and international affairs at Wake Forest University in the United States. We discussed how China brands its model of development in Africa, the broad categories of knowledge production and network building activities, and whether African countries have much say in how these relations are conducted.Lina Benabdallah on TwitterDan Banik and In Pursuit of Development on Twitter

Presidential elections are happening in multiple African countries, where we're seeing constitutional changes that allow presidents to seek third terms. Kim and Rachel also talk about the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Nigeria, the politics of education access, and a new report on migration in Africa. This week's interview features Lina Benabdallah—an expert on China-Africa relations—and the links between China and Africa (plus, her new book!). … More Ep. 97: A conversation with Lina Benabdallah on the link between China and Africa

Prof. Dr. Lina Benabdallah discusses her latest book, "Shaping the Future of Power: Knowledge production and network-building in China-Africa Relations." Lina looks at China's rise and the Belt and Road beyond the hardware investments - the major infrastructure projects which have been most emphasized. She compares three major types of professionalization interventions: military and security cooperation, media and journalist training, and educational exchanges such as those done through Confucius Institutes. She suggests that these person-to-person engagements in Africa have far reaching impacts and constitute an important angle on Chinese global engagements often less understood and studied. RecommendationsLina: The Continent - a weekly newspaper compiling the best reporting across Africa, produced by the Mail & the Guardian. Erik: Africa is a Country - covering opinion, analysis, and new writing on AfricaJuliet: On the topic of soft power, I recommend two very nationalistic Chinese blockbusters that portray Chinese development cooperation and aid missions - one in Africa called "Wolf Warrior II" (kickass trailer, random analysis) and one in the Mekong Region (less about aid more just cops, fighting, and explosions but based on real events) called "Operation Mekong" (trailer). Lina affirms that she shows Wolf Warrior in her classes :)

In this episode, Dr. Tyler Harlan breaks down the discourses vs. reality of the green turn in the Belt and Road Initiative since Xi Jinping announced it in 2017. He describes the state of knowledge and realities of implementation of the three main aspects of the 'Green Belt and Road': green finance, green energy, and green development cooperation. He also reflects on his research on rural development within China and on China's renewable energy investments across the Mekong Region to shed light on specific cases explored. Check out his article, entitled "Green development or greenwashing? A political ecology perspective on China’s green Belt and Road" here or get in touch via twitter (@beltandroadpod) for help accessing a copy! Recommendations: Tyler1) The puzzle of China’s missing solar and wind finance along the Belt and Road Parts 1 & 2 (Panda Paw Dragon Claw, Ma Tianjie)2) Reports on how hydropower could be reduced/changed/replaced with investment in solar and wind: Brain Eyler on Chinese Solar Diplomacy in China Dialogue and Jeff Opperman of WWF on hydropower on free flowing riversErik1) Shaping the Future of Power: Knowledge Production and Network-Building in China-Africa Relations (latest book by Lina Benabdallah) 2) Killing Eve - Phoebe Waller-BridgeJuliet 1) Forgotten Kingdom: Nine Years in Yunnan 1939-48 (by Peter Goulyar)

The opening of China's first overseas military base located in Djibouti is the most visible example of China's expanded security interests in Africa. However, behind the scenes, Chinese officials are moving to expand their relationships with African militaries across the continent.   Earlier this summer, 50 African military leaders spent two weeks in Beijing to attend the inaugural China-Africa Defense and Security Forum. The event was organized by the Chinese government in preparation for the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) leaders summit that will take place in Beijing in September.    Wake Forest University China-Africa scholar Lina Benabdallah is among a growing number of experts who are carefully monitoring China's rapidly evolving security ties in Africa. Lina joins Eric & Cobus to talk about how China's military strategy in Africa differs so much from that of the United States and why she thinks African militaries are increasingly eager to work with their counterparts in the People's Liberation Army.   Join the discussion. What do you think of China's expanded military presence in Africa? Are you happy to hear that Beijing is stepping up its contribution to multinational peacekeeping on the continent or worried that yet another foreign power's armies will misbehave in Africa? Let us know what you think.   Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject Twitter: @eolander | @stadeneseque | @LBenabdallah Email: eric@chinaafricaproject.com   Read Lina's Washington Post column: China-Africa military ties have deepened. Here are 4 things to know.   Be sure to join our weekly email newsletter mailing list for a carefully curated selection of the week's top China-Africa news. Sign up here.

Lina Benabdallah is an assistant professor of political science at Wake Forest University in North Carolina who recently completed a Ph.D. focusing on South-South cooperation. Much of her research was on the ties between China and countries in Africa. She sat down with Kaiser and Jeremy for a live podcast at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, to discuss the state of China-Africa relations and how they have evolved over the past several years. At the 2006 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, international media and many in academia became fixated on a striking new phenomenon: an unprecedented uptick in ties in economics, migration, and diplomacy between China and many African countries. Since then, discussion of the Africa-China relationship has been generally locked in a dichotomy between those who believe China is “colonizing” Africa in some significant way, and those who believe pure intentions and great benefits are directed to and from both sides. It’s much more complicated than that, so Jeremy and Kaiser asked Lina to talk about issues such as the perception of Chinese investment projects on the African continent, China’s involvement in security in Africa, model farms projects, media cooperation, racism, and more. Recommendations: Jeremy: The 99% Invisible podcast, which focuses on a range of stories related to design, specifically its recent episode on Ponte City, a high-rise apartment building in Jeremy’s hometown of Johannesburg. At the time the tower was built, South Africa was a highly segregated society, and the building became one of the first places in Johannesburg where different races could rub shoulders. Lina: Guangzhou Dream Factory, a documentary made by Christiane Badgley and Erica Marcus. It documents the lives of African entrepreneurs in Guangzhou, China, in a highly realistic way — sharing stories of opportunity, success, and challenges, including racism. Kaiser: Read Lina’s review of Guangzhou Dream Factory, published on the blog Africa Is a Country. Also check out the novels of Adam Brooks, a former BBC correspondent in China who quit his job and started writing spy fiction based in China. Kaiser recommends his book Night Heron.

President Xi Jinping's first overseas trip of 2016 was to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Iran. Between January 19th to the 24th, Xi visited each country and signed dozens of agreements worth billions, although as is always the case with China-Africa numbers, those amounts should be taken with a grain of salt. Still, it was deft diplomacy to visit both Saudi Arabia and Iran in the same trip, considering they are mortal enemies. In addition, Xi's visit to Egypt was significant: the country is supposed to be major artery for One Belt One Road, and also Egypt was the first African country to recognize China in 1956 - so President Xi and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi attended a celebration marking the 60th anniversary of those relations at the opening ceremony of the Sino-Egyptian Culture Year in 2016. To talk about the Xi's visit and China-Middle East relations more broadly, we have on this episode: Lina Benabdallah, a PhD candidate at the department of Political Science and Center for African studies at the University of Florida, whose research looks into the dynamics of vocational trainings and power diffusion in China-Africa relations (and is the proud co-host of the Cowries and Rice podcast); and Evanna Hu, a previous guest of the pod who was CEO of g.Maarifa in Nairobi but has moved on to new projects and a new base in Amman, Jordan. She is a technologist specializing in mobile tech platforms and digital strategies, having done on-the-ground implementation in conflict zones, including stints in Afghanistan and Iraq, where she saw first-hand Chinese interests in those countries.

Chinese president Xi Jinping's three-country tour of the Middle East and North Africa offers yet another example of Beijing's expanding drive for increased global influence. During his first visit to the region, Xi traveled to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran where he inserted his government into the mix of some of the world's most volatile regions. That Xi chose to visit these countries for his first overseas trip of the year, a highly symbolic act that is closely watched by Chinese foreign policy observers, is not surprising given China's increased dependence on oil from the Middle East and Persian Gulf. Experts contend, though, that there was much more to the trip than the usual cash-for-resources tours that Chinese leaders often do elsewhere in Africa. In this instance, there's a lot more at stake. One Belt, One Road Both Egypt and Iran are critical pieces in China's rapidly evolving global trading strategy that aims to revive the ancient silk road that once connected Persia with China. Known commonly as One Belt, One Road (OBOR), China hopes to link its economy with markets in Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa through expansive new maritime routes, international rail lines and other overland connections. If successful, OBOR promises to bring billions of dollars in Chinese development funds to these countries and further integrate them into China's trading orbit. A region in flux Xi's visit also coincides with a series of dramatic power shifts in the region that provides a unique opportunity for Beijing to expand its influence in the region. Saudi Arabia's growing alienation from the United States, a once unshakable alliance, over Washington's rapprochement with Iran allowed for Xi to receive a much warmer welcome in Riyadh than he would have just a few years ago. Separately, across the Persian Gulf in Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed his eagerness for building a deeper relationship with China to serve as a potential counterweight to the United States. Similarly, in Egypt, president Abdul Fattah el-Sisi's turbulent relationship with Washington no doubt contributed to his enthusiastic courtship of Chinese investment and development during Xi's visit. Risks everywhere While the strategic logic of China's desire to broaden its reach in the Middle East and North Africa is obvious, the key question is whether or not Beijing is capable of successful navigating the region's volatile, often violent politics. This is new diplomatic terrain for the Chinese and the risk of policy missteps are very high. For now, the Chinese don't bring much more to the table than money. If their people and big new investments get sucked in to the sectarian conflicts that are ravaging the region, it will not be easy for China to extricate itself without suffering considerable losses (both human and financial). Lina Benabdallah is a China-Africa scholar at the University of Florida's Center for Africa Studies where she is pursuing her Phd. Lina's research focuses on Chinese foreign and security policy in Africa and as a native Arab speaker from Algeria, she also closely follows China's diplomatic activity in North Africa and the Arab world. Lina joins Eric & Cobus this week to discuss Xi's recent Mideast trip and what it says about the current direction of Chinese foreign policy.

What is the role of the African entrepreneur on the African continent in the Sino-Africa relationship? To answer that question first-hand, hosts Winslow Robertson and Lina Benabdallah have invited Norbert Haguma on the pod. Haguma is: CEO of the AfrOrient Group, a one stop solution for any Asia-Africa project which was established in Hong Kong in 2009 and moved to Kigali in 2015; as well as Vice President of the Rwanda Diaspora Global Network. Haguma spent 10 years in China as a student, translator, consultant, IT engineer, and manager, but recently moved back to the African continent to leverage his considerable Sino-Africa expertise for the AfrOrient Group, leading trade and cultural delegations in Africa.

Hosts Winslow Robertson, Lina Benabdallah, and Yiting Wang look at the lives of Chinese wholesalers in Uganda with Dr. Ward Warmerdam, who received his PhD from the international Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in the Hague and is an economic researcher at Profundo. Most recently, he has been working on Chinese wholesalers in Kampala, but his research broadly focuses on China’s engagement with Africa, the lessons from China’s own development experience, and how these inform China’s aid principles and practices. He has published “Having, Giving, Taking: Lessons on Ownership in China's Domestic Development and Contributions of its Engagement” Forum for Development Studies, 2013. Before embarking on his PhD studies, Dr. Warmerdam lived in China for 10 years running his own consultancy and language institute.

Over the past few months, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in China has put out two phenomenal Sino-Africa reports: the 2015 Report on the Sustainable Development of Chinese Enterprises Overseas, co-authored by the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce and the Research Center of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration under the Commission of the State Council, which was released on November 9; and If Africa builds nests, will the birds come?: Comparative Study on Special Economic Zones in Africa and China, which was written in conjunction with the International Poverty Reduction Center in China and released on December 17. To talk about those reports, and for what UNDP China has planned for 2016, hosts Winslow Robertson, Lina Benabdallah, and Yiting Wang have invited on the pod Hannah Ryder, the Head of Policy and Partnerships for the UNDP in China, to the pod. She leads a group of national and international experts in UNDP to support China to cooperate practically and effectively with other countries and develop its positions on various key international issues, including the post-2015 development agenda, China’s climate change policy, and China’s development cooperation.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) just ended on December 4-5 in Johannesburg, South Africa. For historical context, FOCAC was initiated in 2000 in Beijing in order to sketch out a three-year cooperation plan between China and the countries of Africa. Since then, the triennial meetings have alternated between China and an African country. Hosts Winslow Robertson, Lina Benabdallah, and Yiting Wang wanted to assess FOCAC in relation to the 2012 iteration and brought Dr. Bob Wekesa back on the pod to share his thoughts. Dr. Wekesa received his PhD in international communications at Communication University of China and is currently a Research Associate at University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, as well as a founding research coordinator at the African Communication Research Centre at the same university. His journalism experience spans reporting, editing and leadership across multiple media platforms; in addition to numerous articles, Wekesa is the author of two books and his third, on China-Africa, is forthcoming.

Prof. Deborah Brautigam is one of the foremost China-Africa scholars in the world, perhaps most famous for her 2010 book The Dragon's Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa, published by Oxford University Press. She is the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies' Bernard L. Schwartz Professor in International Political Economy, as well as Professor of International Development and Comparative Politics, and Director of the International Development Program and the China-Africa Research Initiative (SAIS CARI). She recently published a wonderful myth-busting book on China-Africa agriculture, titled "Will Africa Feed China?" and published again by Oxford University Press, which is available now for purchase. Hosts Winslow Robertson, Lina Benabdallah, and Yiting Wang, discuss Brautigam's book, her research, and how agriculture fit into the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Note: This episode was recorded live over lunch, and has considerable ambient noise which we were unable to remove. We are continuing to discuss the Sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) for the rest of the month. FOCAC will be held in three weeks, December 4-5 in Johannesburg, South Africa. For historical context, FOCAC was initiated in 2000 in Beijing in order to sketch out a three-year cooperation plan between China and the countries of Africa. Since then, the triennial meetings have alternated between China and an African country. This week, hosts Winslow Robertson and Lina Benabdallah examine China-Africa security issues with Amb. David Shinn, who was U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso. He is currently an Adjunct Professor of International Affairs at The George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, and co authored China and Africa: A Century of Engagement with Prof. Joshua Eisenman, which was published in 2012 by the University of Pennsylvania Press. In addition, he recently published a non-China-Africa book: Hizmet in Africa: The Activities and Significance of the Gulen Movement.

Note: This episode was recorded live in a cafe, and has considerable ambient noise which we were unable to remove. In addition, we could not properly edit in a typical intro, recommendation, and contact section for all the speakers and hope to add them in at a later date. We are continuing to discuss the Sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) for the rest of the month. FOCAC will be held in three weeks, December 4-5 in Johannesburg, South Africa. For historical context, FOCAC was initiated in 2000 in Beijing in order to sketch out a three-year cooperation plan between China and the countries of Africa. Since then, the triennial meetings have alternated between China and an African country. Hosts Winslow Robertson and Lina Benabdallah managed to meet up with Prof. Tang Xiaoyang, Resident Scholar at the Carnegie–Tsinghua Center for Global Policy and an associate professor in the Department of International Relations at Tsinghua University, and Sun Yuzhou, an MA student in African Studies at the University of Oxford and asked them both to share their thoughts regarding the role of Chinese researchers in FOCAC. This was an impromptu podcast so please be aware it did not follow the typical format.

We are continuing to discuss the Sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) for the rest of the month. FOCAC will be held in three weeks, December 4-5 in Johannesburg, South Africa. For historical context, FOCAC was initiated in 2000 in Beijing in order to sketch out a three-year cooperation plan between China and the countries of Africa. Since then, the triennial meetings have alternated between China and an African country. Hosts Winslow Robertson and Lina Benabdallah connect FOCAC to the idea of rising powers: what FOCAC means to South Africa and what these summits do for China as a member of the Global South, the developing world, or whichever nomenclature one may prefer. Joining them is Dr. Sven Grimm, a political scientist who has worked on external partners’ co-operation with Africa since 1999. He is a Senior Researcher and the Coordinator of the Rising Powers program at The German Development Institute (DIE) in Bonn. Since 2006 his research has focused on emerging economies’ role in Africa, and specifically China-Africa relations. He obtained his Ph.D. from Hamburg University in 2002 with a thesis on E.U.-Africa relations. He has previously worked with the London-based Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and was the former head of the Centre for Chinese Studies at Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa.

We are continuing to discuss the Sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) for the rest of the month. FOCAC will be held in three weeks, December 4-5 in Johannesburg, South Africa. For historical context, FOCAC was initiated in 2000 in Beijing in order to sketch out a three-year cooperation plan between China and the countries of Africa. Since then, the triennial meetings have alternated between China and an African country. This week, hosts Winslow Robertson and Lina Benabdallah hope to discuss how how FOCAC will engage with sustainable development and have three guests from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Kenya, WWF China, and WWF South Africa respectively to explore the linkages between FOCAC and sustainable development: Jackson Kiplagat is the Interim Policy & Research Lead - Africa for WWF Kenya, Nan Li is Policy Program Manager for China's Green Shift Initiative at WWF China; and Louise Scholtz is Manager: Special Projects: Policy Futures Unit of WWF South Africa.

South Africa is hosting the sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) this December. FOCAC was initiated in the year 2000 and in Beijing in order to sketch out a three-year cooperation plan between China and the countries of Africa. Since then, the triennial meetings have alternated between China and an African country - and this time, will mark the first instance that FOCAC is held at a summit (instead of ministerial) level in an African country. To discuss FOCAC today as well as its media permutations, hosts Winslow Robertson (and Lina Benabdallah in spirit) invited Dr. Bob Wekesa on the show. Dr. Wekesa received his PhD in international communications at Communication University of China and is currently a Research Associate at University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. He is a leading expert on all things relating to China-Africa media, and he actually attending the previous FOCAC in 2012, held in Beijing.

The Chinese in Africa/Africans in China Research Network aims to strengthen and widen the reach of emerging cross-regional communities of research and practice in the area of China-Africa studies. Originally established in 2007 as a small research working group at the Centre for Sociological Research, at the University of Johannesburg, the Research Network has grown rapidly to become a global network of researchers and practitioners. It provides a dynamic, virtual platform where members meet, debate, inquire, and stay in touch. Hosts Winslow Robertson and Lina Benabdallah (who are members of the Network) wanted to look at the Network's most recent outreach efforts and invited Dr. Tu Hyunh, who is the cofounder of the Network as well as a recent postdoctoral fellow at Jinan University on the pod to discuss these efforts.

On Wednesday October 7, 2015, Yang Feng Glan, a 66-year-old Chinese restaurant owner in Dar es Salaam station and vice-president and secretary-general of the Tanzania China-Africa business council, appeared in a Tanzanian court to be charged with smuggling ivory between 2000 and 2014. Media reports have dubbed her the "Ivory Queen" and the Elephant Action League, an American NGO, described her as “the most important ivory trafficker ever arrested in the country.” Host Winslow Robertson and new cohost Lina Benabdallah are joined by Hongxiang Huang, owner and manager of the China-Africa social enterprise China House and expert on China-Africa ivory smuggling issues, to look closer at this story. Did Yang Feng Glan fit the proverbial profile of a Chinese ivory smuggler in Africa?