tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51337932444167524402024-03-04T23:41:00.340-08:00Cowries and RiceLooking for and presenting the sometimes unexpected connections between China and the countries of AfricaWinslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-823836237612162632016-03-02T18:48:00.000-08:002016-03-13T18:50:49.363-07:00Land and Chinese Private Investment in Kenya: From Real Estate to Agriculture<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">By <a href="http://hongxiang huang china house">Hongxiang Huang, Yin Qiu, Mingxuan Huang</a></span><br />
[Editors Note: China House is a client of Cowries and Rice]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRnYUhGi6aWEsBIXwCT5xK9mH1rwKItuD-b6J7Q3b3_YVSFN2eoczNUVVvzi0PrJFlQLqGs-t7lbPL1u9KwN6n2p0hKqZIcLWyjtccBDckWTk_GeXLJct9Xt8vLyVnPRrbJjzZcLzcS8/s1600/Picture2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRnYUhGi6aWEsBIXwCT5xK9mH1rwKItuD-b6J7Q3b3_YVSFN2eoczNUVVvzi0PrJFlQLqGs-t7lbPL1u9KwN6n2p0hKqZIcLWyjtccBDckWTk_GeXLJct9Xt8vLyVnPRrbJjzZcLzcS8/s320/Picture2.png" width="180" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Between 2013 and 2014, 35 km from downtown Nairobi, a group of ambitious Chinese investors planned a 300-acre real estate mega investment – City of Harmony. It was going to be </span><b style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">the</b><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;"> China city of Kenya: stores; factories; residential homes; and offices. Hundreds of Chinese businessmen were the shareholders of this project and investment flooded in from many parts of China. Kenya’s role in China’s One Belt One Road meant that a there were potentially huge profits to be made by early speculators.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">However, in </span>2015<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;"> this project ended with a lawsuit, and the City of Harmony was gone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">"Li Wenjie, one of the major shareholders and a businessman in Kenya, colluded with locals and committed land fraud of over 20 million rmb [$3.8 million], and he blamed me for cheating the system," said Guo Dong, another major player of this mega project. In his eyes, a Chinese con man is almost worse than a Kenyan one, as many Chinese businessmen trust their countrymen, making them easy to exploit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">To date, Guo Dong and Li Wenjie have not <a href="http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Chinese-investors-halt-project-over-land-fraud/-/1056/2940386/-/view/printVersion/-/qi8ks0z/-/index.html">resolved their case in Kenya</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFqqeVf0LTEW6mj9mfRVSOoslUOcwkCzu58oYnmXLu4GLp_lQQuDZywoz8slxgvZrNhZxsK5Bg-14RZ0q2WQSIpWGmMATVkIMW6D8fXLCdWTIl5B_EAf98mL5gUUJapm7Uyy5yckuSsM/s1600/Picture3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFqqeVf0LTEW6mj9mfRVSOoslUOcwkCzu58oYnmXLu4GLp_lQQuDZywoz8slxgvZrNhZxsK5Bg-14RZ0q2WQSIpWGmMATVkIMW6D8fXLCdWTIl5B_EAf98mL5gUUJapm7Uyy5yckuSsM/s320/Picture3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Land deals have translated into overnight fortunes in China. When it comes to Chinese private investment in Africa, real estate follows a similar pattern as it is seen as one of the most profitable investment options. In Kenya, there is a famous story about four elderly Sichuanese Chinese businessmen who, around 2007, came to Kenya to work on a state engineering project. Having realized there was great opportunity for profit, these four businessmen quit their job and each put up 2.5 million rmb [$385,000] to buy a piece of land and develop it into residential housing. They each ended up making 10 million rmb [$1.5 million] from their investment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">This story, dubbed the "Four Chinese Elders Dug Gold in Africa", inspired many other Chinese entrepreneurs to come to Kenya for real estate, which was hugely profitable as land price rose 535% from 2007 through today. Currently, real estate is still one of the hottest destinations of Chinese private investment in Kenya. However, without enough local knowledge and experience, a lot of money is lost as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">"When we started building the house, some people came to us and said this land belonged to them. More importantly, they presented their deeds, which were as authentic as ours," recalls a Chinese businessman in Kenya who does not want to reveal his name. According to our research, this kind of situation is very common in Kenya.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">"Because of a multitude of reasons, problematic land deeds are common in Kenya, and good land titling is crucial," explained Faith Kanaga, a Kenyan lawyer who specializes in land transactions. According to Kanaga and other lawyers, when foreign investors do not understand the local context, it is easy to be cheated by many so-called "brokers", Kenyan and foreigner alike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">"Chinese investors do not have good service channel when they come to Africa, and therefore a lot of times they run into problems. And because there is no good platform to share knowledge, many Chinese investors can run into fraud since they never share lessons learned regarding problematic land titling," said Sherry, a Chinese entrepreneur who has lived in Kenya for over 20 years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">However, despite these risks, Kenyan land keeps attracting Chinese investors.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Mike, a real estate broker in Nairobi, told us that "the Chinese want land plots in Nairobi, and only in prime areas." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">As developable land in Nairobi becomes more and more scarce, a handful of Chinese businesspeople have started to look into rural lands as well, but not solely as a real estate investment. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization, in 2009, Kenya was the world’s largest grower of pyrethrum, a flower used to make insecticide. However, due to management issues, this industry declined in Kenya in recent years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />"We partnered with Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture and are aiming to revive this industry," said a Chinese entrepreneur in Kenya who does not want his name or his company to be identified. Today, they are acquiring rural land through partnership with locals, and the lands are producing large quantities of pyrethrum, which will be processed and then shipped to China for further refining. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Beyond pyrethrum, Chinese businesspeople are looking at other opportunities in rural Kenya. For example, Zheng has been cultivating his farm, a one-hour drive north of downtown Nairobi. Unlike many Chinese entrepreneurs who focuses on the city, he believes rural areas host the most profitable new opportunities. Two years ago, he began renting four acres of land and planted Chinese vegetables on them, to test whether they could grow in this foreign soil. Today, his farm has almost dominated the Chinese vegetable supply chain to estimated 40,000 – 60,000 Chinese who are living in Kenya.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">"I partner with local farmers, teach them how to grow Chinese vegetables, supply them with seeds, and buy from them when their crops are ready," said Zheng, mentoring his local farmers to harvest vegetables for his customers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Foreigners are not allowed to purchase land in Kenya, so Zheng partners with locals to make his investment effectively invisible. In his eyes, this saves him a lot of trouble. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">“The Chinese have a saying: be quiet and make your money, that is the wisdom” explained Zheng.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com104tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-6459165878431142302015-11-29T18:50:00.000-08:002015-11-30T18:50:19.368-08:00Everything you need to know about FOCAC: Rising Powers<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/235349816&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe>
We are continuing to discuss the Sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (<a href="http://www.focac.org/eng/">FOCAC</a>) 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 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/winslowrobertson">Winslow Robertson</a> and Ms. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/benabdallah-lina/75/191/13b">Lina Benabdallah</a> 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 <a href="http://www.die-gdi.de/en/sven-grimm/">Dr. Sven Grimm</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.die-gdi.de/en/rising-powers/">Rising Powers</a> program at <a href="http://www.die-gdi.de/en/">The German Development Institute</a> (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 <a href="https://www.uni-hamburg.de/">Hamburg University</a> in 2002 with a thesis on E.U.-Africa relations. He has previously worked with the London-based <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjptKb8z7nJAhUCRz4KHZNNBIQQFggcMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.odi.org%2F&usg=AFQjCNFhNCtFIfWMO1cce7GU8rmtNngNYw&sig2=kzcrys12sHxVvOixldnY5A&bvm=bv.108194040,d.dmo">Overseas Development Institute</a> (ODI) and was the former head of the <a href="http://www.ccs.org.za/">Centre for Chinese Studies</a> at <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjEsfqL0LnJAhXI7D4KHe2jCNUQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sun.ac.za%2Fenglish&usg=AFQjCNFVpug6gy5cgNT9xrk6xfc7U7fadw&sig2=DND0iSbpf_fs-oI-gi65_Q&bvm=bv.108194040,d.eWE">Stellenbosch University</a> in Cape Town, South Africa.<br />
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<li><a href="https://twitter.com/Winslow_R">Winslow</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.andrewerickson.com/2015/11/u-s-africom-commander-gen-david-rodriguez-usa-confirms-china-signed-10-year-contract-for-military-logistics-hub-in-djibouti-beijings-1st-ever-overseas-baseplace/">U.S. AFRICOM Commander GEN David Rodriguez, USA Confirms: China Signed 10-Year Contract for Military Logistics Hub in Djibouti—Beijing’s 1st-Ever Overseas “Base”/Facility</a> by <a href="http://www.andrewerickson.com/">Andrew S. Erickson</a></li>
<li><a href="http://africasacountry.com/2015/11/the-china-africa-summit/">Is one continent, one country a viable strategy for Africa-China relations?</a> by <a href="http://africasacountry.com/author/lina-benabdallah/">Lina Benabdallah</a></li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/lbenabdallah">Lina</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.issafrica.org/iss-today/rebalancing-an-unbalanced-relationship">Rebalancing an unbalanced relationship</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/PFabric">Peter Fabricius</a></li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/grimm_sven">Dr. Sven Grimm</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://china-africa-reporting.co.za/">Wits Journalism China-Africa Reporting Project</a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>
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<a href="http://www.africandevjobs.com/">African Development Jobs</a></div>
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<a href="http://pulserecordings.com/clients/mighty-mike">Mighty Mike</a></div>
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Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-61271494352141119802015-11-29T18:28:00.000-08:002015-11-30T18:29:49.979-08:00Everything you need to know about FOCAC: Security<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/235344238&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe>
Note: This episode was recorded live over lunch, and has considerable ambient noise which we were unable to remove.<br />
<br />
We are continuing to discuss the Sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (<a href="http://www.focac.org/eng/">FOCAC</a>) 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 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/winslowrobertson">Winslow Robertson</a> and Ms. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/benabdallah-lina/75/191/13b">Lina Benabdallah</a> examine China-Africa security issues with <a href="http://davidshinn.blogspot.com/">Amb. David Shinn</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.upenn.edu/pennpress/book/14975.html">China and Africa: A Century of Engagement</a> with Prof. <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/lbj/directory/faculty/joshua-eisenman">Joshua Eisenman</a>, which was published in 2012 by the University of Pennsylvania Press. In addition, he recently published a non-China-Africa book: <a href="http://www.store.tsehaipublishers.com/product_info.php/religion-spirituality/hizmet-in-africa-p-157">Hizmet in Africa: The Activities and Significance of the Gulen Movement</a>.<br />
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Recommendations</h4>
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/Winslow_R">Winslow</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/lbenabdallah">Lina</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.sheratonsandiegohotel.com/">Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina</a></li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/ambshinn">Amb. David Shinn</a></li>
<ul>
<li>Exercise more African agency</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<a href="http://www.africandevjobs.com/">African Development Jobs</a></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<a href="http://pulserecordings.com/clients/mighty-mike">Mighty Mike</a></div>
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Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-6684360821503159552015-11-27T20:12:00.000-08:002015-11-30T20:28:22.482-08:00The Clean Boardroom: An alternative perspective on Chinese corruption and bribery in Kenya“I am not a racist but…” Mrs. Zhang (pseudonym) begins smilingly. She is addressing me specifically, staring right at my nose. Still, I miss the end of the sentence. I am busy thinking to myself: has anyone ever started a statement that way and finished it gracefully?<br />
<br />
If anyone could, it might be Zhang. I like her immediately. She is in her mid-forties, I am told. I would have guessed she is a decade younger. She runs a travel agency and energetically ushers my two colleagues and me into a clean, white boardroom.<br />
<br />
I take in the room. A stark, unadorned contrast to the makeshift construction site offices where I often conduct my interviews, their dirt-covered walls collaged with attendance sheets and architecture floor plans. This is almost sterile in comparison. The blank walls shine in the wooden reflection of a large ovular table. A leafy green plant occupies a corner of the room.<br />
<br />
We are here trying to make sense of tax-related issues facing Chinese residents in Kenya. She indulges us, explaining – without malice – her difficulties: “It does not matter how clean the records, how carefully they are maintained. When the revenue authority comes to investigate, they will always find a <i>maobing</i>”—a flaw. From Zhang’s perspective, the turbid tax regulations allow wiggle room for opportunistic officers. There is little to be done but pay up, she declares, still smiling.<br />
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Unlike some Chinese residents of Kenya that we have spoken with, her problems do not stem from a lack of understanding of local laws. In fact, in her free time, Zhang enthusiastically chews on Kenyan legal codes, on old cases. Her eyes glisten as she recalls studying law as an undergrad, many years ago. “I’m just disappointed I have have too few opportunities to use it!”<br />
<br />
Nor are her issues a result of lack of experience operating in Kenya, the country she has called home for well over a decade. Here, she has established a thriving business, a bustling office filled the chatter and clattering keyboards of tens of Kenyan and Chinese employees – including local accountants.<br />
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<br />
Zhang keeps her business as pristine as her boardroom, and willfully apart from the grey areas inhabited by some of the other Chinese employers I have interacted with—who, for instance, may not sign labor contracts with their employees. Yet, she still finds herself locked in the same dance as they, the KRA’s annual (or, in some cases, monthly) kickback parley. “The question is not whether you have to pay [a bribe], it is how much you have to pay. And that just comes down to how well you negotiate.” She winks. I have no doubt she pays very little.<br />
<br />
Zhang’s description of corruption echoes comments I have overheard a number of times while loitering in Kenya’s Chinese circles. Individuals who claim that they want to play by the (formal) rules but find it necessary to learn and respond to those informal and illicit.<br />
<br />
This is a divergence from most of my other conversations about Chinese people and corruption in Africa (often with non-Chinese discussants), which tend to focus on their role as perpetrator and beneficiary of corrupt systems. As a salt and pepper-haired British director of a major American multinational conglomerate instructed me just last week: Chinese businesses “going out” are hastening a global crisis by normalizing corruption and bribery in international business. Or during a chat with an American investor in Kenya: “The only innovation that China has brought to Kenya is the envelope full of cash.” And how about a 2014 Voice of America <a href="http://www.voanews.com/content/corruption-concerns-tain-buregeoning-china-africa-trade/2432469.html">article</a> on the subject, which explains: “China aggressively pursues and locks in economic opportunities using, according to the analysts, suitcases full of cash,” and then further, “China has a fertile corruption field in Africa.”<br />
<br />
The tendency to treat “China” as an (often menacing) monolith, ignoring the diversity of stories and experiences embodied by Chinese individuals in African countries, allows commentators to perpetuate a dominant and ultimately less-than-useful story. A story set in the homogenously backwards and variously struggling African void/space, starring a cast of immoral or amoral Chinese businessmen (and officials).<br />
<br />
There is no doubt that individuals from China, like those from other countries, engage in corrupt practices, in Kenya and beyond. Maybe even many or most of them do, I do not know. And this is a serious issue. But listening – actually listening – to Zhang and others like her reveals another side to the story, wherein “perpetrators” are also victim or vulnerable parties, operating in an imperfect system with imperfect information.<br />
<br />
As much as I like Zhang, she is not perfect. She has bribed public officials. She occasionally prefaces racist comments with, “I’m not racist but…” Crucially, though, she does all of this because – and this is the part that sometimes is left out of conversations of “Chinese in Africa” – she is a human. A person, who happens to keep a meticulously clean boardroom.<br />
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<em>This post <a href="https://bridgingthegreatwall.wordpress.com/2015/11/27/the-clean-boardroom/#more-334">first appeared</a> on <a href="https://bridgingthegreatwall.wordpress.com/2015/10/04/are-you-a-chinese/">Bridging the Great Wall</a></em><em>, </em><em>Zander Rounds' blog about his </em><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "bitstream charter" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.8px;"><i>Fulbright Scholarship to study African student exchanges to China</i></span><em>. </em></div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-91939422398309074512015-11-18T10:16:00.000-08:002015-11-30T18:51:20.373-08:00Everything you need to know about FOCAC: Sustainable Development<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/233562935&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe>
We are continuing to discuss the Sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (<a href="http://www.focac.org/eng/">FOCAC</a>) 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 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/winslowrobertson">Winslow Robertson</a> and Ms. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/benabdallah-lina/75/191/13b">Lina Benabdallah</a> hope to discuss how how FOCAC will engage with sustainable development and have three guests from the World Wide Fund for Nature (<a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/?utm_campaign=301-redirects&utm_source=wwf.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=wwf.org">WWF</a>) <a href="http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/kenya/">Kenya</a>, <a href="http://en.wwfchina.org/">WWF China</a>, and <a href="http://www.wwf.org.za/">WWF South Africa</a> respectively to explore the linkages between FOCAC and sustainable development: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiFroqNj6LJAhXPOogKHdy9CM4QFggzMAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fke.linkedin.com%2Fpub%2Fjackson-kiplagat%2F26%2F326%2Fa98&usg=AFQjCNFJzUg8jgfrW0AEVgZX_u_K7H4sXw&sig2=2U2803haw2hv1aFURxBd9Q&bvm=bv.108194040,d.cGU">Jackson Kiplagat</a> is the Interim Policy & Research Lead - Africa for WWF Kenya, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwizz43vjqLJAhWHlYgKHSxfAfkQFggcMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fpub%2Fnan-li%2F4%2F914%2F553%3Ftrk%3Dpub-pbmap&usg=AFQjCNE0Kx4KDad5CJf7jvC-nQ7NOECvWg&sig2=liScrZSpDU5-joSDWF_MTQ&bvm=bv.108194040,d.cGU">Nan Li</a> is Policy Program Manager for China's Green Shift Initiative at WWF China; and <a href="https://za.linkedin.com/in/louise-scholtz-a0987632">Louise Scholtz</a> is Manager: Special Projects: Policy Futures Unit of WWF South Africa. In addition, WWF South Africa recently put up a <a href="http://www.wwf.org.za/what_we_do/focac/">FOCAC website</a> that is well worth exploring.<br />
<div>
<h4>
Recommendations</h4>
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<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/Winslow_R">Winslow</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.icafrica.org/fileadmin/documents/Annual_Reports/INFRASTRUCTURE_FINANCING_TRENDS_IN_AFRICA_%E2%80%93_2014.pdf">Infrastructure Financing Trends in Africa - 2014</a> by <a href="http://www.icafrica.org/en/">The Infrastructure Consortium for Africa</a></li>
</ul>
<li> <a href="https://twitter.com/lbenabdallah">Lina</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.africanstudies.org/annual-meetings">58th Annual Meeting of the African Studies Association</a></li>
</ul>
<a href="https://twitter.com/jkkiplagat">Jackson Kiplagat</a><ul>
<li>Personally contribute toward improving sustainability </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwizz43vjqLJAhWHlYgKHSxfAfkQFggcMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fpub%2Fnan-li%2F4%2F914%2F553%3Ftrk%3Dpub-pbmap&usg=AFQjCNE0Kx4KDad5CJf7jvC-nQ7NOECvWg&sig2=liScrZSpDU5-joSDWF_MTQ&bvm=bv.108194040,d.cGU">Nan Li</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p031blhd">Africa Surprising - Signs of Change</a> by <a href="http://www.bbc.com/">BBC</a></li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://za.linkedin.com/in/louise-scholtz-a0987632">Louise Scholtz</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Dragons-Gift-Story-Africa/dp/0199550220">The Dragon's Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa</a> by <a href="http://www.chinaafricarealstory.com/">Deborah Brautigam</a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<a href="http://www.africandevjobs.com/">African Development Jobs</a></div>
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<a href="http://pulserecordings.com/clients/mighty-mike">Mighty Mike</a></div>
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Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-87586741873792520892015-11-12T11:02:00.000-08:002015-11-30T18:00:58.865-08:00Everything you need to know about FOCAC: Media<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/232701182&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe>
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 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/winslowrobertson">Winslow Robertson</a> (and Lina <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/benabdallah-lina/75/191/13b">Lina Benabdallah</a> in spirit) invited <a href="http://china-africa.ssrc.org/caac-research-network/steering-committee/bob-wekesa/">Dr. Bob Wekesa</a> on the show. Dr. Wekesa received his PhD in international communications at Communication University of China and is currently a Research Associate at <a href="http://www.wits.ac.za/">University of the Witwatersrand</a> 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.<br />
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<h4>
Recommendations</h4>
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/Winslow_R">Winslow</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeVAlxor4lA">Talk Africa: Industrializing Africa</a> by <a href="http://cctv.cntv.cn/lm/cctvafrica/">CCTV Africa</a></li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/bobwekesa">Dr. Bob Wekesa</a></li>
<ul>
<li>Balance</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<a href="http://www.africandevjobs.com/">African Development Jobs</a></div>
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<a href="http://pulserecordings.com/clients/mighty-mike">Mighty Mike</a></div>
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Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-71130049993425142092015-11-04T09:07:00.000-08:002015-11-21T10:27:22.948-08:00More ways to connect with the Chinese in Africa/Africans in China Research Network<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/231468606&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe>
The <a href="http://china-africa.ssrc.org/caac-research-network/about/">Chinese in Africa/Africans in China Research Network</a> 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 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/winslowrobertson">Winslow Robertson</a> and Ms. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/benabdallah-lina/75/191/13b">Lina Benabdallah</a> (who are members of the Network) wanted to look at the Network's most recent outreach efforts and invited <a href="http://china-africa.ssrc.org/caac-research-network/steering-committee/tu-huynh/">Dr. Tu Hyunh</a>, who is the cofounder of the Network as well as a recent postdoctoral fellow at Jinan University on the pod to discuss these efforts.<br />
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<h4>
Recommendations</h4>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/Winslow_R">Winslow</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.internationalpolicydigest.org/2015/10/25/china-in-africa-environmental-implications-and-the-law/">China in Africa: Environmental Implications and the Law</a> by <a href="http://davidshinn.blogspot.com/">David Shinn</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Let-100-Voices-Speak-Transforming/dp/1780769857">Let 100 Voices Speak: How the Internet Is Transforming China and Changing Everything</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/withoutdoing">Liz Carter</a></li>
</ul>
<li> <a href="https://twitter.com/lbenabdallah">Lina</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://africanarguments.org/2015/10/30/sam-pa-is-detained-long-live-sam-pa/">Sam Pa is detained! Long Live Sam Pa!</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/MaileyJR?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">J.R. Mailey</a></li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://china-africa.ssrc.org/caac-research-network/steering-committee/tu-huynh/">Dr. Tu Hyunh</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/will-africa-feed-china-9780199396856?cc=us&lang=en&">Will Africa Feed China?</a> by <a href="http://www.chinaafricarealstory.com/">Deborah Brautigam</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.jpanafrican.org/docs/vol7no10/Bodomo-3-Anshan.pdf">African Diaspora in China: Reality, Research and Reflection</a> by <a href="http://china-africa.ssrc.org/featured-researchers/li-anshan/">Li Anshan</a></li>
<li><a href="http://iwh.cssn.cn/xsqk/xsqk_world_history_studies/world_history_studies_2015n/201507/t20150707_2068582.shtml">Contact between China and Africa before Vasco da Gama: Archeology, Document and Historiography</a> by <a href="http://china-africa.ssrc.org/featured-researchers/li-anshan/">Li Anshan</a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>
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Brought to you by:</h4>
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<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<a href="http://www.africandevjobs.com/">African Development Jobs</a></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<a href="http://pulserecordings.com/clients/mighty-mike">Mighty Mike</a></div>
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Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-2142245301941092272015-10-26T18:44:00.000-07:002015-10-26T18:44:00.309-07:00Chinese Petty Traders In Nigeria (and a brief Yoruba lesson)<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/230109798&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe>
Chinese petty traders in Africa are always a fascinating subject - what drives a person to pick up and move to another country to try compete ferociously in a business with tiny profits? To help answer that question, hosts <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/winslowrobertson">Winslow Robertson</a> and Ms. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/benabdallah-lina/75/191/13b">Lina Benabdallah</a> have invited to the pod <a href="http://www.geography.wisc.edu/students/profile.php?p=1075">Allen Xiao</a>, a PhD student in Geography, with minor in African Studies, at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He was trained in anthropology in Hong Kong and his previous research focused on Chinese migration to Nigeria: he authored “<a href="https://www.ciaonet.org/attachments/27744/uploads">In the Shadow of the States: The Informalities of Chinese Petty Entrepreneurship in Nigeria</a>” which was published in the Journal of Current Chinese Affairs earlier this year. Now his interests lie in the making of multi-ethnic Lagos and shifting Yoruba identity, and to that end he has been learning Yoruba since 2014. Who are these Chinese petty traders in Nigeria and how do they fit into the Sino-Africa relationship?<br />
<div>
<h4>
Recommendations</h4>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/Winslow_R">Winslow</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://nationalinterest.org/feature/beijing-bull-the-bogus-china-model-14107?page=2">Beijing Bull: The Bogus China Model</a> by <a href="http://polisci.columbia.edu/people/profile/101">Andrew J. Nathan</a></li>
</ul>
<li> <a href="https://twitter.com/lbenabdallah">Lina</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://journals.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/jcca/">Journal of Current Chinese Affairs</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD9NOeQnjng&feature=youtu.be">稻香-周杰伦-pianoman苏阳</a></li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.geography.wisc.edu/students/profile.php?p=1075">Allen Xiao</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_1_(film)">October 1</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/kunleafolayan?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Kunle Afolayan</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo67rsskaRk">The CEO</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/kunleafolayan?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Kunle Afolayan</a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<a href="http://www.africandevjobs.com/">African Development Jobs</a></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<a href="http://pulserecordings.com/clients/mighty-mike">Mighty Mike</a></div>
</h4>
</div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-51415433082089461332015-10-24T08:21:00.003-07:002015-10-26T18:29:24.010-07:00The Ivory Queen?<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/229878428&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe>
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On Wednesday October 7, 2015, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/10/08/prosecutors-say-this-66-year-old-chinese-woman-is-one-of-africas-most-notorious-smugglers/">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</a> 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 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/winslowrobertson">Winslow Robertson</a> and new cohost Ms. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/benabdallah-lina/75/191/13b">Lina Benabdallah</a> are joined by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/hongxiang-huang/23/801/8ab">Hongxiang Huang</a>, 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?<br />
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Recommendations</h4>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/Winslow_R">Winslow</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.reporting-focac.com/">Reporting FOCAC</a> by <a href="http://china-africa-reporting.co.za/">Wits China-Africa Reporting Project</a> and the <a href="http://www.chinaafricaproject.com/">China Africa Project</a></li>
</ul>
<li> <a href="https://twitter.com/lbenabdallah">Lina</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/EIA-Vanishing-Point-lo-res1.pdf">VANISHING POINT Criminality, Corruption and the Devastation of Tanzania’s Elephants</a> by the <a href="http://eia-global.org/">Environmental Investigation Agency</a></li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chinahousekenya">Hongxiang Huang</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<h4>
Sources</h4>
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/10/08/prosecutors-say-this-66-year-old-chinese-woman-is-one-of-africas-most-notorious-smugglers/">Prosecutors say this 66-year-old Chinese woman is one of Africa’s most notorious smugglers</a> by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/kevin-sieff">Kevin Sieff</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Chinese-Ivory-queen-arrested-charged-Tanzania/-/1056/2908560/-/bxj0la/-/index.html">Chinese ‘Ivory queen’ Yang Fenglan arrested, charged in Tanzania</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.africandevjobs.com/">African Development Jobs</a></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<a href="http://pulserecordings.com/clients/mighty-mike">Mighty Mike</a></div>
</h4>
</div>
</div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-36403451875852968072015-10-21T06:21:00.000-07:002015-11-14T06:23:44.957-08:00Clean cookstoves<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/229365946&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe>
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Note: This episode was recorded last year and is missing some content. It has been uploaded as the podcast is relaunching.<br />
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Clean cookstoves are cooking instruments designed to save fuel, improve health, empower women, and protect the environment. They are rarely mentioned in the same breath as China-Africa relations, but in this episode, host <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/winslowrobertson">Winslow Robertson</a> has two clean cookstove experts connect the two topics. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jichong-wu-11282012">Jichong Wu</a>, China Program Manager at the United Nations Foundation and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/yitingwang">Yiting Wang</a>, Program Development Manager at WWF-China, both share their histories with clean cookstoves as well as explain how those stoves fit into the China-Africa relationship.<br />
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Brought to you by:</h4>
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</h4>
<h4>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<a href="http://www.africandevjobs.com/">African Development Jobs</a></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<a href="http://pulserecordings.com/clients/mighty-mike">Mighty Mike</a></div>
</h4>
</div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-41929040355598987072015-10-05T07:31:00.000-07:002015-11-30T20:25:08.153-08:00Are You a Chinese?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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By <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/alexander-rounds/23/2b0/b2a">Zander Rounds</a><br />
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“Are you a Chinese?”<br />
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After years in China, ineffectually trying to blur my gangly American edges and blend in, this is one question that I never really imagined I would receive.<br />
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And yet, on more than a few occasions since my arrival in Kenya a couple of weeks ago*, Kenyans have curiously posed precisely that: “Are you a Chinese?” Or the other day, while chatting with a Chinese colleague, our Kenyan waiter returned my change, looked me in the eye and un-ironically pronounced, “Xie xie” [Mandarin for ‘thank you’].<br />
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Admittedly, it’s the crew that I am now running with. China House (中南屋), a Nairobi-based collective of young Chinese movers and shakers, housed under a common vision of flourishing through collaboration and connection between Chinese and Africans. I am the newest (and most American) member of a team working to integrate two worlds that occupy the same physical universe yet are still often separate: the Kenyan community and the Chinese community residing in Kenya.<br />
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My orientation to this/these communities has been…wonderfully disorienting, as I have rocketed at (usually frightening) velocity through space that is unfamiliar – speeding along Ngong Road past throngs of beckoning Matutatu drivers and building after building barricaded by massive metallic walls – into those familiar after many years in China: A dirty little noodle shop. An overflowing Chinese grocery store. A family-style gathering of Chinese friends, complete with twice-cooked pork, baijiu-chugging men and, of course, karaoke—lots of karaoke.<br />
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My food compass, usually a reliable tool for my orientation to a place, is on the fritz: I knew the spot to get the best wontons in Nairobi before I had eaten a bite of pilau or chewed on ugali. So where exactly am I?<br />
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And who am I? As I have begun to interlope in these overlapping Chinese/Kenyan and Kenyan/Chinese spaces, my identity has at times confounded those I encounter, Chinese and Kenyan alike. Who is this lanky white guy that speaks Chinese, sings 1970s C-pop and knows so much about Shaanxi local delicacies? Or, (by Kenyans): is this perhaps just a strange-looking Chinese person?<br />
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And then there was that time last weekend. Towards the end of a hike that China House organized to bring young Kenyans and Chinese together, one of the more excitable characters initiated a delightful bi-national “sing off”, in which the Kenyan contingent would sing a “Kenyan” song, followed by the Chinese singing a “Chinese” song, and so on, back and forth. As I was shamelessly belting one Chinese song that I know particularly well, the question again popped into my head: Are you a Chinese?<br />
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A Chinese person would likely think this question silly. Even in a group of Chinese “foreigners” located outside of the mainland, I am still more (or perhaps just differently) foreign—once a waiguoren, always a waiguoren. What does it mean if others, like some of the Kenyans I have confused, think otherwise?<br />
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More broadly, what place do I (or should I), a white, Mandarin-speaking American occupy in these spaces? What should I make of the multiple layers of foreignness and novelty that I represent to those around me? And, while I am at it, what identities am I perhaps unknowingly imposing on others?<br />
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Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival atop a Chinese-run hotel in Nairobi<br />
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A Kenyan-Chinese lunchtime sing off in the Ngong Hills<br />
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My neighborhood noodle shop<br />
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*Editor’s note: Since I wrote my last post many months ago, I have finished my Fulbright in Zhejiang on African student exchanges to China and moved to Nairobi, where I am exploring Chinese-African encounters from another angle. Details to follow, in an updated “About me” section.<br />
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<em>This post <a href="https://bridgingthegreatwall.wordpress.com/2015/10/04/are-you-a-chinese/">first appeared</a> on <a href="https://bridgingthegreatwall.wordpress.com/2015/10/04/are-you-a-chinese/">Bridging the Great Wall</a></em><em>, </em><em>Zander Rounds' blog about his </em><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "bitstream charter" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.8px;"><i>Fulbright Scholarship to study African student exchanges to China</i></span><em>. </em>Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-3604895952952200092015-06-30T21:00:00.000-07:002015-07-03T08:16:05.658-07:00Translation Tuesday: Great love engraved on a blue helmet: Peace-keeping Hero Jiang HangangBy <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/alexander-rounds/23/2b0/b2a">Zander Rounds</a><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Author: Feng Chunmei<br />Translator: Zander Rounds<br />Published on: 12/3/10<br />Source: China Daily</i><br />
<i>Original text (in Chinese):</i> <a href="http://military.people.com.cn/GB/1076/84133/13385548.html">http://military.people.com.cn/GB/1076/84133/13385548.html</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qgq3I-EV-a0Tcun2jw05yioxfMxQZtqbnun5DB3tlzs0prx28WZhItK4anS3itvkPfciKUkjS1dvYzTgGYP70uWCz_QBl1JtHQ02hs21jLqjtBzIRlr32U0PMyo_ISAVXIR-QKom2FM/s1600/Jiang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qgq3I-EV-a0Tcun2jw05yioxfMxQZtqbnun5DB3tlzs0prx28WZhItK4anS3itvkPfciKUkjS1dvYzTgGYP70uWCz_QBl1JtHQ02hs21jLqjtBzIRlr32U0PMyo_ISAVXIR-QKom2FM/s400/Jiang.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jiang Hangang (third from left) with leadership team<br />
members inspecting equipment (Zhu Min, Xinhua) </td></tr>
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In a country of peace and prosperity, why does the hero embark on journeys? To uphold peace.</div>
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On April 18, 2008, Jiang Hangang, Party Secretary, Military Engineer Platoon Captain of China’s seventh dispatch of peacekeepers to Liberia, and Regiment commander of Beijing Collective Military Engineering Corps, was in charge of 274 soldiers preparing to set off. <br />
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Two great tests would befall Jiang during this trip.<br />
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In a foreign land stricken with tragedy, the first test was an arduous mission. Jiang Hangang, however, had long been prepared. Drawing on Jiang’s spirit of leading from the front, his men struggled mightily, achieving many great victories. 118 kilometers of road were upgraded, 332 kilometers of paths repaired, 5 bridges erected, and more than 100 small-scale engineering projects secured… Every single mission was executed beautifully.<br />
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Stomach cancer, this was to be the second test, a test that Jiang Hangang had never imagined but would encounter every day during his peacekeeping mission. His ailment left him in unspeakable suffering but he simply pushed onwards. He threw himself body and mind into the mission, propped up by a tenacious steadfastness, until he returned home and went to the hospital for the physical examination that revealed his late stage cancer.<br />
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There was no shortage of emotion, as the news spread from UN officials to the Liberian government and populace, eventually reaching the officers and men of his platoon. <br />
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After Hu Jintao, CCP Central Committee General Secretary, Premier and Central Military Commission Chairman, learned the deeds of comrade Jiang Hangang – who stayed at the frontline until completing his peacekeeping mission despite suffering from cancer – he immediately sent a communication to the Military Commission and Beijing Military Area. In it, he conveyed his respect for comrade Jiang Hang and arranged for thorough medical treatment. <br />
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[Part two coming next week - Editor]<br />
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<b>About People's Daily </b>(http://en.people.cn/)<br />
"The People's Daily is a daily newspaper in China. The paper is an official newspaper of the government of China, published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. In addition to its main Chinese-language edition, it has editions in English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Tibetan, Kazakh, Uyghur, Zhuang, Mongolian, Korean and other minority languages in China. Similar to Pravda's relationship with the Soviet Union, the newspaper provides direct information on the policies and viewpoints of the government." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Daily)</div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-23680749476606272902015-05-26T20:30:00.000-07:002015-06-09T07:58:04.757-07:00Translation Tuesday: The Wedding of a Post-90’s Pair of Workers in AfricaBy <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/alexander-rounds/23/2b0/b2a">Zander Rounds</a><br />
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<i>Author: Sun Rui, Bo She</i><br />
<i>Translator: Zander Rounds</i><br />
<i>Published on: 5/4/15</i><br />
<i>Source: Xinhua</i><br />
<i>Original text (in Chinese): </i><a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2015-05/04/c_127760578.htm">http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2015-05/04/c_127760578.htm</a><br />
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On May 2, near the eighth section of Nairobi, Kenya’s Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, workers dressed in the clothing of the Masai people delivered their blessings to Post-90’s newlyweds Mu Xuqiang and Li Zhiyuan.<br />
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That same day, those in the China Luqiao Engineering LLC Mombasa-Nairobi’s Project Eight camp bore witness as a pair of worker based in central Kenya became happily united in matrimony. Mu Xuqiang, the groom, is inherited the family business. In 2012, the Beijing youngster took root in Africa. Li Zhiyuan, the bride, formerly studied abroad in England. In 2014, the Inner Mongolian girl rushed to Africa. They met and got to know each other while working on the construction of the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, eventually deciding to enter into marriage. At the wedding ceremony, two Kenyan girls wearing white dresses stood behind the beautiful bride, lifting the massive wedding dress tail with small hands and revealing pure smiles. The local male workers were draped in red-checkered cloth and grasped long sticks, evoking the spirit of Masai warriors. Female workers wore short, exquisite red dresses and earrings, as if characters from a painting<br />
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As Benson Masawo from Kenyan human resources puts it, “All of the details of the wedding were quite moving. I will never forget this important moment when our Chinese friends invited us to participate in this wedding ceremony.” Xinhua News Agency reporters Sun Rui and Bo She.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkS0uOha1asaK6yZAIy1QICIhQdqp88PR7ECeV3lUvS6H11ju_vzzxK1sChVd8CxSRZkee0q-Ae5xejrOX_ThHKSecVS6TEX5tqc-2Hg7JgGinTIhyphenhyphen9iiUrszkg6ZUcPrb3RXIDPKwsI0/s1600/Wedding2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkS0uOha1asaK6yZAIy1QICIhQdqp88PR7ECeV3lUvS6H11ju_vzzxK1sChVd8CxSRZkee0q-Ae5xejrOX_ThHKSecVS6TEX5tqc-2Hg7JgGinTIhyphenhyphen9iiUrszkg6ZUcPrb3RXIDPKwsI0/s400/Wedding2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
On May 2, by the 8th section of Kenya’s Nairobi-Mobasa Railway, Post-90s newlyweds Mu Xuqiang (second from the left) and Li Zhiyuan (first from the left) prepare to enter the marriage ceremony location with a young Kenyan flower boy. (Photo Credit, Sun Ruibo, Xinhua)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-6iE93NRfMCdtZvz-lCnV9pYfrS9bKEwm2UNc7HIarzdmwsQ2bRbqLloNXBYGgdVfHLDpTOjJ2GALITgfY3h4O4kBxv9JVMdqez_PL2VNPbt4pl21J7ppNjGkR4j2sYkzmIG6LQyl08/s1600/Wedding3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-6iE93NRfMCdtZvz-lCnV9pYfrS9bKEwm2UNc7HIarzdmwsQ2bRbqLloNXBYGgdVfHLDpTOjJ2GALITgfY3h4O4kBxv9JVMdqez_PL2VNPbt4pl21J7ppNjGkR4j2sYkzmIG6LQyl08/s400/Wedding3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
On May 2, by the 8th section of Kenya’s Nairobi-Mobasa Railway, a young Kenyan child attending the wedding recites a congratulatory poem to Mu Xuqiang and Li Zhiyuan (Photo Credit, Sun Ruibo, Xinhua)<br />
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On May 2, by the 8th section of Kenya’s Nairobi-Mobasa Railway, Mu Xuqiang, the groom, and Li Zhiyuan, the bride, take a group photo with Kenyan workers. (Photo Credit, Sun Ruibo, Xinhua).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLb1v0jPgXXdrq1oqIOpUix1H9CxzI9q9Y6uaw8Nl1ulakbkdQ41caWKTBRkNG1D7pP8MmY2YKlyW9SZxfpifLQPnwVMSRow9IBHQ7IlYktaJcTjCSVFHx6Uuo9AoGNnJOjQja6kpj-k/s1600/Wedding5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLb1v0jPgXXdrq1oqIOpUix1H9CxzI9q9Y6uaw8Nl1ulakbkdQ41caWKTBRkNG1D7pP8MmY2YKlyW9SZxfpifLQPnwVMSRow9IBHQ7IlYktaJcTjCSVFHx6Uuo9AoGNnJOjQja6kpj-k/s400/Wedding5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
On May 2, by the 8th section of Kenya’s Nairobi-Mobasa Railway, Chinese workers conduct the wedding of Mu Xuqiang, the groom (second from right), and Li Zhiyuan, the bride, in accordance with Chinese customs (Photo Credit, Sun Ruibo, Xinhua).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfrmE255rREF7yZJ7X5uNONBNuzdXXBmP_3j5arfuOY3eORxX489bW45k-7hlw-P79g0L4CsEcB_Ro-9CJKpjS8aqr_O9Z_wgo7OrZJMcnt9kqm6zg19PVBWbPehP6jTP_osElPT-t1k/s1600/Wedding6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfrmE255rREF7yZJ7X5uNONBNuzdXXBmP_3j5arfuOY3eORxX489bW45k-7hlw-P79g0L4CsEcB_Ro-9CJKpjS8aqr_O9Z_wgo7OrZJMcnt9kqm6zg19PVBWbPehP6jTP_osElPT-t1k/s400/Wedding6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
On May 2, by the 8th section of Kenya’s Nairobi-Mobasa Railway, Mu Xuqiang, the groom, and Li Zhiyuan, the bride, take a photo after the wedding in front of a poster (Photo Credit, Sun Ruibo, Xinhua).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMwmahZm-ty0OUqPaKifMn74YTv9X99GoQWzNlKf2hqUgUpHTpTSFIkj12CGrPTYq4teQX465LrdA4JphFuKso9CuQ4PR1q7P35CtGOhkvm0GLFxx28e4LHn9QB39xmpxP841FWYfW44/s1600/Wedding7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMwmahZm-ty0OUqPaKifMn74YTv9X99GoQWzNlKf2hqUgUpHTpTSFIkj12CGrPTYq4teQX465LrdA4JphFuKso9CuQ4PR1q7P35CtGOhkvm0GLFxx28e4LHn9QB39xmpxP841FWYfW44/s400/Wedding7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
On May 2, by the 8th section of Kenya’s Nairobi-Mobasa Railway, Mu Xuqiang, the groom (right), and Li Zhiyuan, the bride, prepare for the wedding ceremony in “the bridal chamber” (Photo Credit, Sun Ruibo, Xinhua).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoiA4P0twzXTLAWreCDbDXrjYalxcHWjxq4r7bDnKHiXulmx2BciDwyV1sMbDDZVa_21krtU4DR8eQoqHf8pyVvG6eOzrhKnn4Mcp_vCxrNxIshFe2rMPR3sTFR5vB2umQmdU5oIeAsk/s1600/Wedding8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoiA4P0twzXTLAWreCDbDXrjYalxcHWjxq4r7bDnKHiXulmx2BciDwyV1sMbDDZVa_21krtU4DR8eQoqHf8pyVvG6eOzrhKnn4Mcp_vCxrNxIshFe2rMPR3sTFR5vB2umQmdU5oIeAsk/s400/Wedding8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
On May 2, by the 8th section of Kenya’s Nairobi-Mobasa Railway, Mu Xuqiang, the groom (the first from the right), and Li Zhiyuan, the bride (the second from the right), receive congratulations from colleagues in “the bridal chamber” (Photo Credit, Sun Ruibo, Xinhua).<br />
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<b>About Xinhua News Agency</b> (http://www.xinhuanet.com/)<br />
<i>"Xinhua News Agency is the state press agency of the People's Republic of China. Xinhua is a ministry- level department subordinate to the State Council. It operates 107 foreign bureaus worldwide, and maintains 31 bureaus in China—one for each province, plus a military bureau. Xinhua is the sole channel for the distribution of important news related to the Communist Party and Chinese central government." (Wikipedia)</i></div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-55701695945273484792015-05-19T20:29:00.000-07:002015-05-25T18:42:23.892-07:00Translation Tuesday: Benguela Railway: The Glory of “Made in China”By <a href="http://www.christianstrau.be/">Christian Straube</a><br />
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<i>Authors: Zhu Jianhong, Zhang Baojun and Long Jiamin<br />Translator: Christian Straube<br />Published on: 15/05/04<br />Source: People’s Daily</i><br />
<i>Original text (in Chinese):</i> <a href="http://finance.people.com.cn/n/2015/0504/c1004-26941139.html">http://finance.people.com.cn/n/2015/0504/c1004-26941139.html</a><br />
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<b>The Benguela Railway was officially inaugurated on February 2015 after rehabilitation by the China Railway 20 Bureau Group Corporation. Initially a colonial project by the Portuguese at the end of the 19th century, it integrated with the Katanga Railway, and now connects the African Copperbelt with the harbor of Lobito on the Atlantic Ocean.</b><br />
<b>---- Christian Straube</b><br />
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The Benguela Railway, which has been built by Chinese in the African country of Angola, is the longest railway built by a Chinese company overseas in the 21st century.<br />
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It is a railway filled with glory. When it was opened on February 14, the presidents of Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Zambia took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. They also interacted with the meritorious people representing the construction: Liu Feng, Chen Lei, and Ma Junfeng of the China Railway 20 Bureau Group Corporation (CR20). <br />
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It is a railway full of blood and sweat. Over a period of more than ten years, more than ten thousand of CR20's staff helped with the construction. They suffered from land mines, malaria, a shortage of materials, and worsening security conditions. They had to overcome language, traffic, and communication difficulties as well as the discomforting climate. Several workers sacrificed their lives.<br />
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It is a railway that established Chinese brands overseas. From project design to the actual construction, everything was completed by CR20. From the screw to the locomotive, 99 percent of all materials were purchased in China. Chinese standards have replaced European ones, which established the golden brand of “Made in China”.<br />
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The Benguela Railway is the “Golden Line” of Southern Africa. It will stimulate local development tremendously.<br />
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Since “Going Out” was initiated at the beginning of the 21st century, Chinese companies have been always confused about where to actually go. <br />
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When thinking back upon entering the Angolan railway market, the deputy general manager of CR20 Angola, Chen Shenlin, said that the opportunity arrived abruptly. Still, coincidence also brought inevitability with it. “Water always flows downhill!”<br />
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The world thinks Africa is synonymous with under-development. However, it is also a very much desired “virgin territory”. In 2002, Angola ended its 27-year civil war and began reconstruction. The 1,344 kilometer Benguela Railway is among its most important projects. Angola had once issued invitations to several countries. In the end, the United States, Russia and four other countries who were in the final bidding process dropped out because the price was too high and for other reasons. Ultimately, the choice came down to CR20.<br />
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The Benguela Railway is Angola’s main railway line. Furthermore, it is the “Golden Line” of Southern Africa. The line sets out in the West from Angola’s largest port in Lobito and ends in the East in the town of Luau bordering the DRC. It was projected to go at a speed of 90 km/h with an annual capacity of four million passengers and 20 million tons of cargo. Once the Benguela Railway has started regular service, it will integrate with the Angola-Zambia, Zambia-Tanzania and neighboring countries’ railway networks. In fact, it is the realization of a joint railway network Southern Africa and forms a major international transport route between the Atlantic and Indian Ocean.<br />
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The love of the Angolan People for the Benguela Railway surprised and moved the workers of CR20 who had built the railway over the last decades. The traffic conditions were horrible after the Angolan civil war. In one section of the railway line, there is no road within 700 km radius. Once the railway reached new places, the people were happy and miserable at the same time. When the flatbed trailer came during construction it was crowded with people. Still, people could not just leave wherever the trailer stopped. They simply started cooking in pots right next to the train and waited for a couple of days until the trailer continued.<br />
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The President of the Benguela Railway Administrative Council José Carlos Gomes explained: “The Benguela Railway serves as a brand. It improves the connection between the interior of Angola and its neighbors. Furthermore, from the perspective of the African Union, railroads are of an incalculable value!” <br />
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In order to thank the Chinese company, the Angolan government marked the road bed of the Benguela Railway with the Portuguese abbreviation “CR20”, which stands for China Railway 20 Bureau Group Corporation. Wherever the railway leads to, the people of Angola will always remember this name.<br />
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<b>Suffering from land-mines, Malaria and other hazards, but still completing an impossible job</b><br />
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While constructing the railway in Angola, two obstacles made it particularly difficult for the Chinese.<br />
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The first obstacle were land-mines. According to United Nations' statistics, there are more than 10 million land-mines in post-war Angola. Many of the mines that had yet to be triggered were found along the Benguela Railway line. That is why the project was viewed as impossible. Following a Sino-Angolan mutual agreement, every new meter that the railway track advanced had to be first cleared by the Angolan National Demining Institute (INAD). Despite this, a complete clearing was never possible.<br />
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On 8 August 2008, the 47-year-old worker Wang Quan drove on an anti-tank mine during construction and died. “Before he died, his eyes turned from light to darkness while looking around. They were full of expectation and regret. We thought he must have been looking for his wife and thought about home,” the general manager of the Benguela Two Project Li Shiqiang remembered.<br />
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Following Wang Quan’s death, CR20 went for a second clearing after the Angolan army had already cleared the ground of mines in order to ensure the safety on the construction side. They used indigenous methods like putting a concrete cylinder in front of a bulldozer. In case there was a mine, it would only damage a machine but not kill a person.<br />
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The second obstacle was Malaria. When we were interviewing the Party Committee Secretary and Department Manager of the Benguela Fourth Project Zhou Hai and asked him how many people caught Malaria, he laughed and replied: “You should ask how many people did not catch Malaria. During the Benguela Railway construction, catching Malaria was like catching a cold. There is one worker who got it 24 times within two years.”<br />
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The Party Committee Secretary and Department Manager of the Track Laying and Bridge Erection Project Wang Ruitang said: “Two thirds of our people caught Malaria. They caught it several times. You could not find an empty seat at the doctor’s!”<br />
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Apart from Malaria, there were other threats: the Bilharzia worm and many more strange insects, e.g. the Mango Fly which enters the human body as a parasite. Furthermore, there were crocodiles, boas, lions… there was no lack of visits by wild animals on the construction side.<br />
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The loneliness away from the mother land and away from loved ones was also incredibly distressing for the Chinese builders. CR20’s chief engineer and Benguela construction commander Hu Chuntao explained: “At the time of the global financial crisis, the construction of the Benguela Railway came to a halt. A foreign project cannot be delayed. A delay of two or three years would usually mean its termination. But once we survived all that, the advantage was really on our side!”<br />
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“Surviving things” is easier said than done. When the project was suspended, Li Shiqiang made a trip to one of the rearward sites. The Angolan soldiers standing guard at the gate told him: “The two Chinese left behind went mad. They do not stop moving in and out of the house.” Li Shiqiang was very sure that they did not go mad but were struggling with the loneliness. At another rearward site, he witnessed a sole Chinese worker who took his hand and talked for three hours straight.<br />
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The predecessor of Chinese railway workers were the railway corps. When needed, they relied on the “Railway Corps Spirit” which enabled them to eat bitterness and complete an “impossible project” such as this. Within more than ten years, CR20 brought over 10,000 workers to Africa in order to work on the railway. Some of them even sacrificed their life for the railway construction. Their dead bodies will remain in Africa forever. In order to remember these heroes of the reconstruction of post-war Angola, Angola has put up a special memorial.<br />
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<b>Constructing the Benguela Railway gave full expression to the strength of “Made in China”</b><br />
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When you come to Angola, traces of China are everywhere: from large objects such as buses and railways to small ones such as the shoes and plastic tableware in the markets. At the beginning of this year, Angolan newspapers published a caricature in which next to a Chinese person was written: “God only made earth and heaven, for everything else God asked the Chinese to produce it.”<br />
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Professor Lu Feng of Beijing University once put the strength of China’s manufacturing capability into the words “Made in China”, “Chinese-built” and “Created in China”. Profiting from several decades of reform and opening and the large-scale market incentives, China developed large infrastructure projects construction capacity which was hard for other countries to match. The volume of completed Chinese construction contracts abroad did not reach one billion US dollars at the beginning of the 21st century. It grew to more than 14 billion US dollars last year. Overseas construction contract labor has increased from 50,000-60,000 people in 2000 to over 300,000 in recent years.<br />
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Through the construction of the Benguela Railway, the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) gave full expression to the strength of “Made in China”. The benefit for CRCC was not small. CR20’s deputy general manager and Angola construction commander Liu Feng put forward that “Going Out” for the company resulted in a large group of managers and engineers with concrete international experience. It also raised the companies’ competitiveness. Because of the outstanding performance in Angola, the railway project in Mozambique’s Nacala was also contracted to CR20. Several countries gradually entered negotiations concerning other projects, too.<br />
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“99 percent of the materials used for the Benguela Railway were purchased in China. From vehicles, steel rails and machinery to everyday supplies. This set in motion a development for domestic production to go abroad,” Liu Feng said. In the Benguela project, Chinese technology entirely replaced European standards. Steel sleepers became wooden sleepers, the turning radius of 80 meters was changed to 150 to 300 meters. This resulted in an increase of speed for the Angolan railway from 30 to 90 kilometers per hour.<br />
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For a decade, the golden letters of CRCC were on a signboard erected at the heart of the Angolan government. During the construction of the railway, more than 50 Ministers of Transport and embassy officials of members of the African Union stood in front of it. Hu Chuntao said: “After the signboard was set up, the Angolan government often provided us with projects and we took up the initiative to screen projects.”<br />
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Building a road along the railway line, providing medical care for the people, building schools in the most poverty-stricken areas… CR20 turned into the “Great Benefactor” for the Angolan people. Among the almost 100,000 local workers who took part in the construction, CR20 trained more than 10,000 railway workers. At the Angola Two Project, there is a young fellow with the name Davi. He began working for CR20 right after junior high school. He started out shoveling crushed rock for the roadbed. Now, he knows how to drive an excavator, loader, and road roller. “The skills were all learned with CR20.” Relying on this kind of work, Davi gets a higher salary than his schoolmates and provides for six children.<br />
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Luanda, Lobito, Huambo… whenever you enter the living quarters of the CR20 workers, you will always find a patch of rural China in the courtyard: beans, eggplants, scallions, and other vegetables brought from China. The roots go deep into the African soil, the leaves grow lush. Similarly, CR20 rooted in the Angolan market through the optimism and steadiness of the railway corps, waiting for the fruits of their work to flower.</div>
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<b>About People's Daily </b>(http://en.people.cn/)<br />
"The People's Daily is a daily newspaper in China. The paper is an official newspaper of the government of China, published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. In addition to its main Chinese-language edition, it has editions in English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Tibetan, Kazakh, Uyghur, Zhuang, Mongolian, Korean and other minority languages in China. Similar to Pravda's relationship with the Soviet Union, the newspaper provides direct information on the policies and viewpoints of the government." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Daily)</div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-69348901711631864632015-05-12T19:27:00.000-07:002015-05-14T19:45:23.226-07:00Translation Tuesday: A Guangzhou Enterprise Receives a 100 million RMB Injection from CADBy <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/alexander-rounds/23/2b0/b2a">Zander Rounds</a><br />
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<i>Author: N/A</i><br />
<i>Translator: Zander Rounds<br />Published on: 4/15/15<br />Source: Nanfang Daily<br />Original text (in Chinese)</i>: <a href="http://epaper.southcn.com/nfdaily/html/2015-04/15/content_7418313.htm">http://epaper.southcn.com/nfdaily/html/2015-04/15/content_7418313.htm</a><br />
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A recent multi-million dollar cooperative agreement between the <a href="http://www.cadfund.com/en/">China Africa Development Fund</a> and Choice Investment LLC makes Choice the “first private enterprise in Guangzhou to receive support from a national foundation”, demonstrating the diverse and dynamic landscape of Chinese economic engagement with African countries.<br />
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According to a Nan Fang Daily report on the evening of April 13, the <a href="http://www.cadfund.com/en/">China-Africa Development Fund</a> (CAD) and Guangdong’s Choice Investment LLC [倬亿投资有限公司] signed a strategic investment agreement. CAD plans to inject “Choice International” with 100 million RMB to prioritize the strengthening of the composition of Africa distribution channels, to optimize their operational management system and to promote the influence and competitiveness of Chinese brands in Africa. This is the first private enterprise in Guangzhou to receive support from a national foundation and a step towards the implementation of the Going Out strategy.<br />
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According to a presentation by Choice’s chairperson, Zhang Chenxiu, “Choice International” is an international brand operator specifically concentrated in Africa, the Middle East, and other emerging and developing markets. The company has developed over a period of fifteen years, during which time it has matured from a trader of general merchandise to a retailer of energy, household electric appliance and automobile goods products; from trading only with Nigeria to covering the whole continent; from exporting goods to exporting technology and management models. Today, the company has already become the operator of “TAJ” lighters, “LONTOR” LED lighting, and other consumer brand names. Furthermore, Choice maintains a high market share in Nigeria and other African countries. [According to Zhang,] at the same time as it was creating well-known brand names, “Choice International” has developed distribution channel and marketing advantages, bringing “GAC Motor,” “Gree Air conditioners,” and other domestic top-quality products to African markets.<br />
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The China-Africa Development fund announced its establishment in 2006, valued at five billion USD. It is one of China’s concrete and significant cooperative initiatives toward Africa. The objective of CAD, according to chairperson, Chi Jianxin is to deepen China-Africa economic cooperation through equity investment and through supporting and encouraging more Chinese enterprises to invest and flourish in Africa. Since it was formed, CAD relies on it’s stock holder, China Development Bank to use a comprehensive “investment + loan” financial service model to support more than eighty African programs involving over thirty African countries and covering a number of industries, including infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture, mining and overseas industrial parks. In the realm of investment, CAD has already invested in African manufacturing industries, such as automobiles, home appliances, construction, agriculture technologies and leather processing.<br />
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[The Chairman] states that because China is a great manufacturing country, there is no shortage of production suppliers; there is, however a shorting of international brands and international distribution channels. The African market potential is great and compliments well China’s economy, making it a strategic choice for developing Chinese product brand names and distribution channels. Under the vision of “One Belt, One Road”, the 21st century’s maritime Silk Road holds great prospects for the future.<br />
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Chi Jianxin thinks that through this instance of cooperation, CAD will expand its specialized investments in Africa. By utilizing a mixed ownership system of development and diversification of equity, they can explore public and private partnerships. This will help Choice transform from a conventional trading company to a brand name distribution company, with the effect of promoting the establishment of enterprise in Africa, serving as a channel and solving the difficult problems of national industry led development. Through investment + trade, the implementation of this program will bring about the transformation of China’s domestic production capacity and serve as a guide for domestic enterprises in order to engage deeper and ultimately even realize localized investment in Africa. As such, it has great demonstration potential for achieving the type of investment that motivates trade.<br />
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<b>About the Nanfang Daily</b> (www.southcn.com)<br />
<i>The Nanfang Daily falls under the responsibility of Guangdong Provincial Party Propaganda Department and is operated by Nan Fang Media Group. It is the Guangdong Provincial Party government agency network the official website of Nan Fang Media Group and “Southern Daily.” It was officially launched December 13, 2001.</i></div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-77687962738441509542015-05-05T20:13:00.001-07:002015-05-05T20:15:34.578-07:00Translation Tuesday: A Chinese Farmer’s Story of Wasteland Reclamation in AfricaBy <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laiyinyuan">Laiyin Yuan</a><br />
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<i>Author: Xu Wenting, Wang Bo</i><br />
<i>Translator: Laiyin Yuan<br />Published on: 05/03/2015<br />Source: Xinhua News<br />Original text (in Chinese):</i> http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-05/03/c_1115160424.htm <br />
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<b>As the saying goes “Chinese people will never change their Chinese stomach”. Chinese people in Africa are always looking for better Chinese culinary ingredients, and Chinese farmers are lookign to tap into that market. <br />----Laiyin Yuan (Translator)</b><br />
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For Cao Huizhong, a Chinese vegetable grower living in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC], the first thing after getting up every morning is to take a look at his Chinese cabbages in the field. Row upon row of green leaves growing on the land, his cabbages are slightly different from their Chinese relatives: bigger leaves but thinner bodies. This is his tenth crop of experimental Chinese cabbages.<br />
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“It is not ideal, but they finally look like Chinese cabbages. We should keep improving the process,” he said.<br />
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Cao, 56, was born in Jiangsu Province, China. By chance. he heard that a fellow villager had successfully opened a very profitable farm in Angola, which inspired Cao, who has been a farmer for half of his life. He figured, “The trade ties between China and Africa have grown increasingly closer in recent years. There must be great demand for Chinese in Africa to have access to vegetables from our homeland.” <br />
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In 2014, Cao came to the DRC – a country that neighbors Angola – with eight fellow villagers. They were introduced to a local farm that was poorly managed, which they purchased and renamed as “Friendship Farm.”<br />
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Covering an area of 200 mu [Chinese unit of measurement equivalent to 0.067 hectares - editor] (approximately 0.13 square kilometers), the farm is located in Kinguli, and eastern suburb of Kinshasa, which is adjacent to the largest fishing village in the city and has abundant water and sunlight. Like many other African countries, the DRC has expensive vegetables due to production shortages, and the vegetables in supermarkets are occasionally not even fresh.Viewing this as a good business opportunity, the nine villagers decided to introduce and promote intensive Chinese cultivation methods in the area. <br />
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“When we just arrived, this was a wasteland, with weeds everywhere but not even a road,” remarked Friendship Farm manager Xu Genhong. “We built brick houses, dug wells, generated electricity, and fixed diversion channels. Reclaiming the wasteland, step by step, it was a really hard time.”</div>
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However, an even more substantial obstacle was the complete failure of their crop experiments. When first just took over the farm, many crops did not even grow due to the farmers unfamiliarity with the local climate, soil, and seeds. Their eggplants were as small as fingers. <br />
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“We were dumbfounded. Since we had already lost a lot of money, we could do nothing but bite the bullet and keep trying,” described Cao. “Our technician went back to China to select seeds, and we also consulted with Chinese experts via internet. I toiled in the field and experimented for months.”<br />
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With the Equator across its territory, the DRC is located in central-western Africa, where it is hot, humid, and rainy. Due to high sediment concentration, the soil has overly strong permeability and poor capabilities preserving fertilizer. The frequent rain tends to rot seedlings. Despite this situation, Cao Huizhong and his colleagues figured out a way to improve the soil with increasing use of organic fertilizer and clay. They also introduced and improved drip irrigation technology from China to increase the soil's water retention. <br />
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“We buried PVC pipes in every row in the field. This drip irrigation system can finish the job in 15 minutes, but it will take 20 workers half a day to do the same thing,” Xu Genhong explained. <br />
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Now, the Friendship Farm can produce 15 kinds of vegetables for a total of 1000 kg per day. Half of the vegetables used by Kinshasa’s Chinese companies and restaurants were produced here. “Mr. Cao’s farm has become the ‘vegetable basket’ for the Chinese in Kinshasa,” expressed Xu Xiaoming, a customer of theirs while making a purchase, “I am from Zhejiang Province, and I have loved green soy bean since childhood. I did not expect to find a taste of home here."<br />
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With Friendship Farm's operations on the right track, it also provided more than 30 jobs for the neighboring fishing village. Janci Magia, [transliteration from Chinese - Laiyin], a local villager, saod: “Chinese people are hard-working, and I learned a lot of growing techniques. It was hard for the villagers to find jobs in the past, but the arrival of the Chinese farm changed this situation, we are all very happy.”<br />
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Nonetheless, the owners of Friendship Farm are not resting on their laurels. They want to scale up, diversify their operations, and seek broader cooperation. To this end, Xu Genhong often goes to the DRC’s Department of Agriculture, the Chinese embassy, and other institutions. He hoped that “Maybe someday in the future we can take the Sino-D.R. Congo path towards grain cultivation and agricultural cooperation.”<br />
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<b>About Xinhua News Agency</b> (http://www.xinhuanet.com/)<br />
<i>"Xinhua News Agency is the state press agency of the People's Republic of China. Xinhua is a ministry- level department subordinate to the State Council. It operates 107 foreign bureaus worldwide, and maintains 31 bureaus in China—one for each province, plus a military bureau. Xinhua is the sole channel for the distribution of important news related to the Communist Party and Chinese central government." (Wikipedia)</i></div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-6840111274362460012015-04-21T19:57:00.000-07:002015-04-28T19:57:54.613-07:00Translation Tuesday: China Nonferrous Metals News: China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group goes off the beaten pathBy <a href="http://www.christianstrau.be/">Christian Straube</a><br />
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<i>Author: Wang Changming</i><br />
<i>Translator: Christian Straube</i><br />
<i>Published on: 04/09/2015</i><br />
<i>Source: Zambia-China Economic & Trade Cooperation Zone</i><br />
<i>Original text (in Chinese):</i> http://zccz.cnmc.com.cn/detailtem.jsp?column_no=070402&article_millseconds=1425629687000<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group Corporation's leadership</span></td></tr>
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<b>In March of 2015, China held the famous "two meetings." [the annual plenary sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) - Winslow] On March 5, the third meeting of the Twelfth National People's Congress was held in Beijing and, in the morning, Premier Li Keqiang delivered an exciting government work report. Luo Tao, general manager of China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group Corporation [CNMC Group] and member of the NPC was impressed by the report, as the focus on state-owned enterprise reform has highly raised expectations. Like him, the non-ferrous industry is being guided and inspired by a mission: to perform duties conscientiously; to build the non-ferrous industry; and to share wisdom in order to promote the healthy development of the nation's economic power! </b><br />
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<b>"All people work together, going to the same direction." Achieving a better "China Dream" is a glorious and career goal; building the non-ferrous metals industry is a long way to go on in that direction. Dream in front of the road. Only one non-ferrous industry leader has cultivated more maturity, more power, more flexibility, more ability in order to better promote the construction of non-ferrous industrial world power step by step into a brilliant reality. In fact, the non-ferrous industry in recent years has been actively responding to major national development initiatives, deepening reform, improving quality and efficiency, strengthening management, greater efforts interpretation of adversity and strong one after another glorious chapter, the emergence of a large number of outstanding Enterprise Group. Among these, the CNMC Group's development is particularly significant. The Group successfully entered into the Fortune 500. Behind the rapid growth of CNMC is a road of transformation, innovation, and strong culture and technology. </b><br />
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<b>Let us analyze the China Nonferrous Metals Group, to understand how this thriving enterprise has operated in recent years, which blazes a path for the future development of the non-ferrous metals industry, and provides valuable experience for the reform of state-owned state-owned enterprises.</b><br />
<b>---- Original Chinese editor's note</b><br />
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On 29 January 2015, Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China member and Premier of the State Council Li Keqiang addressed China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group Corporation with an important remark. He encouraged the CNMC Group “to continue focussing on core business, strengthening management, attaching importance to effectiveness, and constantly raising the level of competitiveness when ‘going out’ in order to further increase China’s natural resource security.” It was the third consecutive year that Premier Li Keqiang gave important instructions to the group. This reflects the importance that the Central Committee and the State Council attach to and what they expect of China’s non-ferrous metals industry and the CNMC Group in particular.<br />
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As a matter of fact, the CNMC Group received the attention of Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Zhang Gaoli, Li Yuanchao, Hu Chunhua, Qiangba Puncog, Chang Wanquan, Wang Yong, Ma Peihua, and other party and state leaders in 2014. Since 2015, Li Keqiang, Liu Yunshan, Zhang Gaoli, Wang Yang, Wen Jiabao, Chang Wanquan, Guo Shengkun, Wang Yong, and other party and state leaders, as well as Xu Shaoshi, Zhang Yi and more than 20 provincial leaders, have made important comments regarding the CNMC Group. They have high expectations for the group’s development.<br />
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The group’s general manager Luo Tao, delegate to the 12th National People’s Congress, said: “This caring encourages new vitality. The CNMC Group always bears in mind with what it was entrusted and what is expected of it by the party and the country. It takes on the mission of state-owned enterprises and stands firm on its pathway to grow better and stronger. Right now, the group strides forward towards the dream of becoming a mining enterprise of international standing.”<br />
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<b>A “national team” that goes against the grain and works hard to become stronger</b><br />
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Actions elevate dreams, struggles light up the future. In recent years, the entire non-ferrous mining industry was trapped in decline. In the face of extremely unfavorable market conditions, the CNMC Group tackled and overcame difficulties. These were understood as a state-owned enterprise’s responsibility.<br />
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Statistics are silent on their own. Still, statistics have the ability to illuminate the group’s efforts and struggles within the last year. Up to the end of 2014, the group’s total assets grew by 6.61 percent on a year-to-year basis. Annual total revenues increased by 6.4 percent and total profits by 5.53 percent respectively. The CNMC Group succeeded again in entering the Fortune Global 500, ranked 398th. As the group had surpassed production quotas in every respect, it met all performance indicators released by the State Council’s State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. It had won the battle to “maintain growth”. When comparing 2014 to the initial stage of the 11th Five-Year Plan [2006-2010], the group’s total assets, operating revenue and production volume of non-ferrous metals products increased 17, 41, and 33 times respectively. This established a solid foundation for future development.<br />
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Luo Tao pointed out: “The success of 2014 was the best return for the efforts and hard work of our group over the last ten years.” First set out a plan, then act upon it. The structural framework during the ten years since the 11th Five-Year Plan provided the strategic anchoring for the group’s future development. Since putting forward the strategic idea of “One Body, Two Wings” in 2006, the CNMC Group gradually made clear what was meant with the “Eight Criteria to Establish a Harmonious Enterprise”, the “Ten Important Relations that Necessitate Coordinated Control”, the “Acceleration of the Scientific Development and Realization of the Three Great Leaps”, the “12345” development strategy and striding forward with all one’s strength within the Fortune Global 500, the “One Deepening, Four Advancements” and other strategic processes and goals. Under the guidance of these strategies, the CNMC Group has already evolved from an engineering enterprise with a single business to a large mining conglomerate covering the entire non-ferrous metals industrial chain. The group’s scale of operations and strength has changed tremendously.<br />
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Luo Tao especially emphasized that the group’s successes cannot be separated from the practices of scientific and technological progress and self-dependent innovation, which it has embraced from the beginning. In the review of the “2014 China Non-ferrous Metals Industry Science and Technology Awards”, the CNMC Group became the first work unit to receive 17 science and technology achievement awards. Among these were six first-class, five second-class and six third-class awards. The number of first class awards was the highest ever, and the group topped the non-ferrous metals industry for the first time.<br />
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“With the development of this enterprise, we increasingly felt the importance of core competitiveness and the value of personnel.” What pleased Luo Tao is the fact that the CNMC Group already possesses a distinct advantage in these two fields. At the present, the group makes and masters breakthroughs in a range of key technologies. It has increased its investments in research and development, technological improvement, equipment, and protecting its intellectual property rights. It owns five post-doc work stations, eight research and development platforms at the national level, 24 research and development platforms at the provincial level, and 7 design research units. The CNMC Group also has two fellows at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, 133 experts receiving special government allowances from the State Council, nine people selected for the “New Century Talents Project”, one person selected for the “National High Level Special Talents Support Program” and three national technical experts. This makes up a daring and ever-improving pool of human resources from which to draw from.<br />
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“If you are at home in the world, there is nothing too difficult for you.” When looking back at the determined steps the group took towards their current development, one feels that the cadres and staff members took up the personal responsibility to forge ahead with determination, to have great aspirations, and to be united in their efforts. The double expense and effort leave a trace of shimmering development. Currently, the CNMC Group has businesses and projects in 21 provinces in China. Business overseas has already spread to over 80 countries and regions. For the last two years, the group has entered the Fortune Global 500. In this magnificent surge forward, the CNMC Group has neatly integrated its own development with the take-off in the non-ferrous metals industry and the stable development of the national economy. It is a state-owned enterprise that has the responsibility, capability, conduct, and feel to inspire and please every segment of society.<br />
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<b>Action through going out and extracting natural resources</b><br />
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General manager Luo Tao has produced a road map of the group’s overseas investments. “At all times, the CNMC Group was at the vanguard of going out, an actor in natural resource extraction and a pioneer in common advancement. In fact, the group started in Zambia, gradually extending business to countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mongolia, and Myanmar. International business began to take shape. It drove the development of the whole business.” <br />
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One should always remember the source of one’s benefit. Luo Tao points out: “The Chambishi Mine in Zambia was the first mine in which the CNMC Group invested overseas. The investment resulted in valuable insights for how to motivate Chinese enterprises to launch international operations. “<br />
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The Chambishi Copper Mine was the first non-ferrous metal mine China had launched through overseas investment. It was named a “landmark project of China-Africa cooperation”. In 1998, the CNMC Group had successfully competed for 85 per cent of the mine’s stock equity. In 2003, production was taken up, Nonferrous China Africa Mining was founded and made responsible for the mine’s operation. On February 4 2007, the previous President Hu Jintao inaugurated the CNMC Group’s Zambia project with the inscription of “Sino-Zambian cooperation, mutual development”. He encouraged the group to make a new contribution to Sino-Zambian friendship.<br />
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As a starting point, the CNMC Group gradually built up a non-ferrous metals industry cluster overseas which included the entire industrial chain. The group has a well-deserved reputation as a trailblazer for the non-ferrous metals sector opening up international operations. The Zambia-China Trade and Economic Cooperation Zone was the first such Chinese zone in Africa and is to this day the largest overseas trade and economic cooperation zone. It is also Zambia’s first multi-facility economic zone. Zambia’s Chambishi Copper Smelter with a production capacity of 250,000 metric tons is China’s largest overseas investment in a copper smelter project. CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines is an example for how Chinese enterprises turned the global financial crisis into an opportunity by making a low-cost acquisition. The hydrometallurgy plant in Chambishi is a new profit growth point for the CNMC Group. In the DRC, investments in the Mabende project return 20,000 metric tons of cathode copper annually. It is called “the garden-like factory in the forests of Africa”. In Mongolia, investments in the Tumurtin-Ovoo Zinc Mine represent the largest joint cooperation between China and Mongolia in the mining sector. In the Tagaung Taung Nickel Mine in Myanmar, mining, processing and smelting are integrated into a large-scale nickel smelting project. It is the largest cooperation project between China and Myanmar as well as the first important industrial project built by China and currently oeprating in Myanmar. <br />
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At present, the group’s production of heavy non-ferrous metals overseas has surpassed 20 million metric tons. This involves a variety of over 40 different non-ferrous metal products. Business has spread to over 80 countries and regions. It includes 261 corporate holdings and 79 enterprises overseas at all levels. Starting with the two overseas mines in Zambia and Mongolia, the CNMC Group progressed to 19 mines, six smelting plants and the Zambia-China Trade and Economic Cooperation Zone. The group’s projects employ more than 15,000 people and pays taxes worth over $400 million. The projects also shapes the copper and cobalt deposits in Zambia and the DRC, MIanmar’s nickel deposits Mongolia’s zinc deposits, central Asia’s copper and gold deposits, and seven more resource bases. The CNMC Group has become a prominent example for international operations in the non-ferrous metals sector.<br />
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Luo Tao summed up the experience of the group’s overseas development in four sentences: “One, risk management has to take the top spot on the agenda. This applies to the selection of industries and regions, and the strategy of investment directed at differentiation. It also applies to the investor, forms of investment, and the diversification based on the investment’s entry point. Two, only select what you are capable of doing well as the main business. Do your best in developing your core competitiveness. Three, adopt a framework of optimizing your global industries. Assemble all your strength and accelerate the development of overseas natural resource extraction. Promote major projects focussed on construction, a scientific layout for business and an advancement of your overall strength. Four, adhere to green development and compliant operations. Always cherish a strong sense of mission and responsibility. Devote yourself to the creation of a harmonious enterprise.”<br />
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In constructing and running the overseas mines and smelters, the CNMC Group maintains close contact and cooperation with Jiangxi Copper, Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group, Yunnan Copper, and the Beijing General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals, Central South University, University of Science and Technology Beijing as well as other famous Chinese enterprises, scientific research institutions, and institutions of higher learning. During the investment in the development of “going out”, close cooperation and mutual development were realized. This resulted in cluster effects. “Chinese enterprises set in motion a new development boom overseas. We will unite more enterprises in the non-ferrous metals sector in the future. We will steadily carry forward with the “going out” strategy and will be an even greater force for the development of China’s economy and society, and contribute to the friendly exchange of China with other countries,” Luo Tao explained resolutely.<br />
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<b>Vanguard for deepening reform and running an enterprise according to the law</b><br />
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The pace of the group’s development increased further in 2014. This brought much attention from all segments of society. In July 2014, the CNMC Group consecutively entered the Fortune Global 500, ranked 398th. It had risen by 84 ranks compared to 2013. The group also ranked 83th among China’s top 500 enterprises, 28th among China’s top 500 manufacturing enterprises, 34th among China’s top 100 multinational corporations, and third in China’s brand value evaluation.<br />
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[Many paragraphs are cut as they are quite repetitive and do not not add anything to the China-Africa discussion - Winslow]<br />
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“Ruling the people needs law adjustment.” While the CNMC Group deepened reform, it actively promoted the idea of managing the company according to the law at the same time. It demanded from all companies that receive its funding, and from cadres and staff members as well, to further strengthen the idea of the rule of law. It raised the enterprise’s governance level and adhered to putting legal compliance above economic revenue. The group’s operations respect the compliance framework and have zero tolerance toward infractions. The CNMC Group currently has eight stock listed companies in Shenzhen, Hong Kong, London, Sydney, and Toronto. These enterprises are the group’s cornerstones committed to the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee and the advancement of managing enterprises according to the law. Luo Tao used three listed companies: China Nonferrous Metal Industry’s Foreign Engineering and Construction Corporation (NFC); China Nonferrous Metal Mining Corporation (CNMC); and China Daye Nonferrous Metals (China Daye), as examples to explain this process.<br />
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NFC was the first Chinese enterprise in the non-ferrous metals sector to go abroad. It was the first listed enterprise of the CNMC Group and has made contributions of historic significance in regard to the group’s existence and development. Since its foundation, NFC has adhered to opening up its operations and taking up responsibility. It took full advantage of the international and domestic market and resources. In those glorious years, the cadres and staff members melted their wisdom and sweat into a mutual development for stockholders, the society and employees. This is what we call “trying out things in order to know about their advantages and disadvantages”. In 2014, NFC increased its vigour in management compliance and followed the strategy of “One Belt, One Road”. It worked hard on the three articles “The Creation of Internal Capacities”, “The Embrace of the Market” and “The Adjustment of Structure”. In regard to its business operations, NFC made an important breakthrough. The total profit grew by over 70 per cent on a year-to-year basis. On 14 December 2014, Premier Li Keqiang and Kazakhstan’s Premier Massimov witnessed NFC signing the contract on the Aktogay copper mill plant project. The project contract involved a capital volume of 530 million US$. This occasion became the bottom note on NFC’s management according to the law, steady development and active action.<br />
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CNMC comprises the four enterprises Nonferrous China Africa Mining, CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines, Chambishi Copper Smelter and Chambishi Wet Smelting located in Zambia. It was successfully listed at the Hong Kong stock exchange on 29 June 2012 and was the first African stock listed at the exchange in Hong Kong. As an internationalized stock listed company, CNMC was committed to the nation and took roots in Africa right from its enlisting. It developed natural resources, unearthing their value. CNMC strove to be a promoter for Sino-African and Sino-Zambian friendly cooperation. It had to face the continued recession of the world economy in 2014. On the base metal market is was especially the price of copper that kept declining. CNMC perfected the composition of the board of directors and its information disclosure system. It intensified the management of the investor relations and strengthened the financial and monetary management. The total revenue grew by 20 per cent compared to the year before. This contributed importantly to the improvement of the quality and effectiveness of the entire CNMC Group. Today, CNMC’s operations have spread to Zambia and the DRC. They became an important force of Chinese enterprises entering Africa.<br />
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China Daye is a listed company of the Daye Nonferrous Metals Group. It was successfully listed in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on the March 8 2012 and became the first red chip [foreign-registered Chinese company] from Hubei province to be listed there. It was a final step by DYYS after decades. Finally, China Daye had stepped onto the capital market stage. Since its listing, China Daye has actively advanced in asset and capital management. It has realized the effective combination of industrial capital and financial capital. With the support of China Daye, Daye Nonferrous Metals Group has great leeway for direct financing and profit-generating capital. The group steadily implemented “resource capitalization”, “capital securization”, “security demutualization” and “equity diversification”. In the fields of property, finance, mutual transactions, environmental protection, quality, information distribution, and management, it matched with international standards. It standardized and improved its management level. It raised liquidity tremendously and reduced its financial costs.<br />
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As for Luo Tao, he not only wants to guide the enterprise towards model of management according to the law. From the perspective of a delegate to the People’s Congress, he wants to actively promote the legislative work on a national level. After putting forward a motion to formulate a “Foreign Investment Law of the People’s Republic of China” last year, he submitted two motions this year on formulating a “Law on the Sustainable Development of Resource-exhausted Cities”. “I hope to use my humble strength in order to do the little I can for the great project of the rule of law,” Luo Tao sincerely expressed.<br />
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There are even more examples that show how the CNMC Group embodies deepening reform and management according to the law. Intensifying reform and running the enterprise according to law means doing their best and looking into the future for the people at the CNMC Group. This is exactly the responsibility state-owned enterprises must bear.<br />
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<b>A pioneer in work ethic and product quality</b><br />
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Luo Tao became emotional when reminiscing about the group’s development: “Looking back at the group’s development, we never lost our fighting spirit and diligent work ethic.”<br />
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The CNMC Group started from scratch with the help of a 12.98 million RMB loan in 1983. It became the first enterprise to go abroad. In the beginning, the group did not have any achievement to refer to. It could only advance cautiously. While working, it cultivated a corporate culture of setting out fearlessly towards new horizons. The management team and headquarters took the lead by establishing a style of work consisting of diligence and earnestness. This is just like President Xi Jinping’s assessment when he inspected the group’s headquarters. The CNMC Group possesses pioneering spirit and stamina.<br />
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“Going Out” serves as a good example for how cadres and staff members of the CNMC Group put themselves at risk of war during peace times when they faced international challenges: the Gulf War; riots in Thailand; upheaval in Libya; and various conflicts in Myanmar. They relied on a tenacious style of work and overcame one obstacle after another. They continuously opened up new dimensions of “Going Out”. The CNMC Group has invested in 14 enterprises in Zambia. Together, these make up one integrated production chain covering resource extraction, processing, smelting, construction, trade, and logistics. They became a model for Chinese-funded enterprises in the context of Zambian development. The production and overall conditions of the enterprises gradually moved towards the right path and continuously improved. However, in recent years, when people from all over China came to Zambia, they faced innumerable difficulties. Whenever Luo Tao sees the movie “Dedication” that was shot by a Zambian company, it moves him deeply: “A mother always worries about her travelling children. Those comrades went far away from the mother land. Whose parents would not be concerned, would not worry? Their spirit aroused people’s admiration.” The project the CNMC Group was contracted to build in Iran yielded the country’s first pieces of ferro-chrome, ferro-manganese, ferro-molybdenum, and zinc ingot, as well as the first ton of aluminium and electrolytic aluminium. The project exemplifies the friendly cooperation between China and Iran. Still, Iran’s general situation is very complex. Cadres and staff members had to face life and death situations repeatedly. While operating the Tagaung Taung Nickel Mine the group encountered power line destruction, strikes, and other incidents. Eight Chinese and seven Burmese workers volunteered for the army. They headed the repair team and overcame heroic difficulties. Sparing no effort, they repaired the power supply circuit. They created the Tagaung Taung spirit of “holding on, not fearing death, and facing difficulties”. CNMC Group’s China 15th Metallurgical Construction Group is the iron army of China’s construction industry. Overseas operations have spread to 51 project sites in 12 countries. The slogan of “start to move, establish a standing, and become proficient” can now be heard within and outside of China. Looking back at the hardship when they constructed the Tumurtin-Ovoo Zinc Mine in Mongolia, at the challenge when they developed the Lop Nur potash project and at the dangers when they evacuated Chinese nationals from Libya, Luo Tao felt a sudden rush of emotion: “I still remember the first business trip after becoming the general manager of the CNMC Group at the inauguration ceremony of the Tumurtin-Ovoo Zinc Mine in Mongolia. I looked at a towering modern factory in the middle of nowhere and listened to the touching story behind the project. I could not help but admire the selfless dedication of all comrades!”<br />
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The cadres and staff members of the CNMC Group produced innumerable miracles while relying on a tenacious struggle. They have disseminated the best parts of the “Ovoo spirit”, “Qianzitou spirit”, “Banner spirit”, “Xiaohuangniu spirit” and “Tagaung Taung spirit”, and a perfected work style among the group’s enterprises in China and overseas. Luo Tao affectionately expressed: “The qualities of contributing silently, making no demands, and working to become stronger have already passed into the blood of the group’s cadres and staff members. This it what guarantees the primary force for sustainable development and lasting success."<br />
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2015 was the last year of the 12th Five-Year Plan. It was also the year in which the CNMC Group crucially relied on the strength of being in the Fortune Global 500 and the dream to build a world-class enterprise. The task to deepen reform, strengthen management and improve quality and effectiveness became more and more complex. “Premier Li Keqiang once said: ‘One today is worth two tomorrows.’ This year we will comprehensively implement several important speeches of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the spirit of the meetings of the party’s Third and Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee, the Central Economic Work Conference, the heads of the state-owned enterprises, the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. On the basis of established plans, we will be steady, meticulous, precise and accomplished in our work at every current project. By developing in a thoroughgoing manner, we will make an even greater contribution to strengthening the country through the preservation and increase of state-owned assets and the development of the non-ferrous metals sector,” Luo Tao acclaimed confidently with regard to the group’s future development.<br />
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<b>About Zambia-China Economic & Trade Cooperation Zone </b>(http://zccz.cnmc.com.cn/indexen.jsp)<br />
"Zambia-China Economic & Trade Cooperation Zone (ZCCZ) is the first Multi-Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ) declared by the Government of Republican Zambia according to ZDA Act. It is also the first Chinese overseas economic & trade cooperation zone established in Africa. As the biggest Chinese investor in Zambia, CNMC is the developer of ZCCZ."<br />
(http://zccz.cnmc.com.cn/indexen.jsp)</div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-11108441734144822162015-04-07T13:28:00.000-07:002015-10-16T08:59:18.344-07:00Translation Tuesday: Despite considerable Chinese aid, why do not Africans appreciate China?By <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laiyinyuan">Laiyin Yuan</a><br />
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<i>Author: Shang Xi</i><br />
<i>Translator: Laiyin Yuan</i><br />
<i>Published on: 04/03/2015</i><br />
<i>Source: Southern Metropolis Daily (SMD)</i><br />
<i>Original text (in Chinese):</i> <a href="http://epaper.oeeee.com/epaper/A/html/2015-04/03/node_2748.htm">http://epaper.oeeee.com/epaper/A/html/2015-04/03/node_2748.htm</a><br />
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<b>This article is a trenchant diagnosis of the underlying problems in Sino-Africa economic relations. During the recent Third Africa-China Young Leaders Forum, the Deputy Secretary General of the China Foundation for Peace and Development suggested that the Chinese government and companies should rethink how they do business in Africa. More local efforts should also be encouraged in order to enhance people-to-people exchanges between both sides. It is a useful introspection for the Chinese to find a way to “clear its name” in African countries.</b><br />
<b>---- Laiyin Yuan (translator)</b><br />
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China has been providing aid for thousands of projects in Africa. In addition to famous ones such as Ethiopia’s African Union Conference Center, Tanzania’s Nyerere Conference Center, and Mozambique’s National Stadium, there are also a large amount of highways, railways, airports, hospitals, schools, etc.<br />
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However, with more and more Chinese people moving to Africa, conflicts between them and locals are intensifying. On the eve of the Third Africa-China Young Leaders Forum, a Chinese restaurant in Kenya provoked widespread condemnation because it barred local Kenyans from entering after 5:00 pm (read more <a href="http://cowriesrice.blogspot.com/2015/03/translation-tuesday-no-africans-allowed.html">here</a> - Laiyin). <br />
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During this forum, the <a href="http://www.cfpd.org.cn/">China Foundation for Peace and Development</a> (CFPD) held a dialogue focusing on “People-to-People Exchange and Sino-African Relations.” Ji Ping, CFPD’s Deputy Secretary General, created a new word “Afrina” combining “Africa” and “China” in his speech, hoping the two sides can truly understand each other on a non-governmental level. <br />
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“Now the most important thing in Sino-African relations is people-to-people exchange, and everyone has responsibility in it,” said Ji Ping during an exclusive interview with our reporter after the forum. China’s aid in Africa should “break the whole into parts” and penetrate into the African grassroots.<br />
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Is Sino-African friendship resting on its laurels?</b><br />
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<b>The main reason is not because the Chinese government has not done enough, but because there is insufficient personal communication.</b></blockquote>
<b>Southern Metropolis Daily [SMD]:</b> When you were talking to a Chinese businesswoman on the flight, you asked whether you could visit her factory. Why are you interested in ordinary Chinese in Africa?<br />
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<b>Ji:</b> During the forum, African leaders always said they supported Sino-African friendship. They mentioned President Mao several times no matter the occasion was, and their rationale was the friendship built in anti-imperialist/colonialism movements in the past. This leaves an impression that the Sino-African friendship is resting on its laurels. It is not because the Chinese government has not done enough, but because there is insufficient personal communication.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Ji:</b> In our field research, we went to a Chinese restaurant. Its owner, Mr. Lu, is a Shanghai native living here (Tanzania) for 21 years, and he has been running restaurants for a decade. I asked him whether he knew about the Chinese restaurant incident in Kenya. He confirmed that he knew about it. When I asked for his thoughts, he said: “we come to Africa, so we are the guests and the locals are the hosts. How can the guests bar the hosts from coming in for dinner? It must be wrong, and I won’t do such things.” I think he made a good point.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Ji:</b> We also visited a local peasant household. The owner can speak English, and he has one hectare of land, a few cows and goats, five spacious tile-roofed houses, and five children. This family must be considered well-off in the region. The owner was very hospitable at the beginning and invited us in for tea. He said he just came back from Dar-es-Salaam (the biggest city in Tanzania), suggesting that he is quite experienced and may be able to represent grassroots opinions. However, when he heard that we are from China, his attitude changed immediately. He was no longer hospitable but and his actions became perfunctory. He did not reveal his reasons, but we could feel a coldness in his behavior.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Ji:</b> If things are really like what African leaders said, that China and Tanzania are friends in adversity because China supported the anti-imperialist/colonialism cause in the 1960s and 1970s, local people should be much friendlier when they meet Chinese people, but this is apparently not the case. Our local guide also agreed that the overall Tanzanian impression towards Chinese people is not very positive. </blockquote>
<b>SMD:</b> Why do you think this is the case, and what is the problem?<br />
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<b>Ji:</b> Now the most important thing in Sino-African relations is to reinforce non-government exchanges, and to strengthen the foundation of public opinion and civil society with more people-to-people work. On my way here, I was reading China’s Second Continent (read <a href="http://cowriesrice.blogspot.com/2014/09/translation-tuesday-africa-chinas.html">here</a> to know more about this book ---- Laiyin). The author is an American reporter who understands the situation pretty well, and he dug out many fundamental problems between Chinese and African locals. Some Chinese look down upon Africans, thinking they are stupid and lazy, and would rather bring migrant workers from China. However, those Chinese workers are no better than Africans. </blockquote>
<b>If the (diplomatic) “software” is outdated and people-to-people exchange is limited, there may be anti-Chinese sentiments in the future.</b><br />
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<b>SMD:</b> Do Africans also consider Chinese “locusts”? (Note: the term "locust" refers to Hong Kong residents accusing Chinese mainland tourists of taking their public resources. Read <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/895bc3de-b5a5-11e4-b58d-00144feab7de.html#axzz3WHTfqRrg">here</a> for details - Laiyin)<br />
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<b>Ji:</b> It is not that serious yet. Chinese in Africa are good as a whole, which is a mainstream view. But the situation is indeed not optimistic according to what we have found during our field research over the years. The Chinese restaurant owner we talked to had a good analysis. He said the Indians and Pakistanis here are the elites controlling major economic lifelines. Why do they get along well with the locals? It is because they have been doing that for nearly 100 years. Do you remember the story when Mahatma Gandhi was tossed out of a train during the colonial period? There were Indians and Pakistanis on the continent even before that time. They have been interacting with local people since then, thus the current harmonious situation. </blockquote>
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<b>Ji:</b> Now there are more Chinese coming here. The number in Tanzania ranges from 30,000 to 50,000. When that restaurant owner first arrived here 20 years ago, there were only a dozen Chinese in Arusha. Now there are around 500, which is a major change. With this speed, if the (diplomatic) “software” is outdated and people-to-people exchange is blocked, there may be anti-Chinese or Chinese exclusion sentiments in the future.</blockquote>
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Why did you create the term “Afrina”?</h4>
<b>SMD:</b> So what is the meaning of the term “Afrina”?<br />
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Ji: The main reason for me to create this term is to let people feel that Chinese hearts beat with Africans’, as well as to shape a common community consciousness. The prefix of “Afri-” and the suffix of “-ina” show that we attach great importance to Africa, which reflects a spirit of equality and inclusiveness. Sino-Africa relations are NOT unequal. Although Africans are poor right now, their human dignity should be fully respected. </blockquote>
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“With 10 million dollars, it is better to build 100 clinics rather than one hospital.”</b><br />
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<b>We have carried out many ten-million-dollar projects in Africa, but the locals still do not appreciate us. It is because those projects are too far removed from their daily lives.</b></blockquote>
<b>SMD:</b> There is a common perception that the current Sino-Africa relationship is like an inverted pyramid. The top level (governmental level) and large-scale project are all doing pretty well, but the non-governmental levels are weak. Is that true?<br />
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<b>Ji</b>: I think it is more like a castle in the air – no solid foundation. The Tazara Railway in the past was definitely a symbol of Sino-Africa friendship with worldwide impact. Now Chinese projects in Africa are far more numerous than in those years, so why are there so many complaints instead of appreciation? It is because we built many airports and large conference centers, but how many ordinary Africans can actually go there? Some people may never have the chance to take airplane or enter a conference center like that in their entire life. </blockquote>
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However, a lot of volunteers from western countries work on grassroots level and do exactly what we should have done in Africa. Two years ago, I accidentally saw a pale girl in a remote village clinic of northern Laos. She was very polite, and looked different among others. I asked her where she came from, and she said she was a Japanese volunteer who had been working here for a while. At this time many local people surrounded us and rushed to tell me how amazing this girl was and how much help she had provided. They may not remember her name, but they will always remember that a Japanese person helped them. </blockquote>
<b>SMD:</b> During this trip I saw many Japanese cars on Tanzanian roads, and there were also Japanese words on buses. These make ordinary people feel connected to Japan and bridge the gap between them. As for our aid and constructions in Africa, do we need to adjust our way of thinking?<br />
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<b>Ji:</b> Yes. We have spent plenty of money on many ten-million-dollar projects in Africa, but the locals still do not appreciate us. It is because those projects are too far removed from their daily lives. Therefore, I think our projects in Africa should “break the whole into parts.” For example, we can break a ten-million-dollar project into a hundred 100,000 dollar projects. With 10 million dollars, it is better to build a hundred clinics rather than one hospital. A hundred clinics can possibly cover every major village and towns in the area. Of course, I am not saying that we should abandon all the big projects. It is undeniable that the big projects have their own special meaning and impact.<br />
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The impact is limited if we only have government aid projects.</b><br />
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<b>We are relatively weak on supporting more non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and volunteers to go to Africa.</b></blockquote>
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<b>SMD:</b> Just now, you said that Sino-Africa relations lack a solid foundation. What are the components of this foundation?<br />
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<b>Ji:</b> It is a foundation of public opinion. In the United States, diplomatic work is not only accomplished by diplomats, but also by every American going aboard. Students, professors, doctors, businesspeople… they all have a sense of diplomacy. But we are not like this. Many Chinese think they have nothing to do with diplomacy. It is only the business of those working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Now with tighter economic and trade ties, we cannot avoid small frictions. However, “bad news travels fast while good news goes on crutches.” It is usually trivial things that tend to escalate and influence the bilateral relations.</blockquote>
<b>SMD:</b> “Everyone is a diplomat” may take us longer to achieve, but what can we do now?<br />
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<b>Ji:</b> “All men share a common responsibility for the fate of their country.” This old saying can also be applied to diplomacy. We should provide basic training – not only for corporate employees, but also for every Chinese that has the intention to go abroad – to let them understand local customs, laws, religions, culture and traditions. The corporate social responsibility we talked about cannot keep pace with the current development of Sino-African trades, so we need to support more NGOs and volunteers to go to Africa. This is our relative weakness. The impact is limited if we only have governmental aid projects. </blockquote>
(The last paragraph is omitted because it is a repetition of the previous content - Laiyin)<br />
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<b>About Southern Metropolis Daily</b><br />
<i>"Headquartered in Guangzhou, the Southern Media Group's Southern Metropolis Daily has built a reputation for sharp investigative journalism and provocative commentary. The paper focuses primarily on Guangzhou and Shenzhen, but it is also distributed in Hong Kong, Macao and elsewhere throughout the Pearl River Delta region, with a circulation of 1.40" million. </i><i>(</i>http://www.china.org.cn/top10/2011-10/31/content_23772241_4.htm<i>)</i>Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-83709782064300884942015-03-31T21:24:00.002-07:002015-03-31T21:54:30.256-07:00Translation Tuesday: No Africans allowed? Suspicions about Chinese restaurant discrimination in Kenya provoke widespread angerBy <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/alexander-rounds/23/2b0/b2a">Zander Rounds</a><br />
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<i>Author: Yingying</i><br />
<i>Translator: Zander Rounds</i><br />
<i>Published on: 3/25/15</i><br />
<i>Source: Sohu News </i><br />
<i>Original text (in Chinese)</i>: <a href="http://star.news.sohu.com/20150325/n410267717.shtml?qq-pf-to=pcqq.group">http://star.news.sohu.com/20150325/n410267717.shtml?qq-pf-to=pcqq.group</a><br />
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<b>A recent scandal involving a Chinese restaurant in Kenya that barred locals after dark made international headlines, revealing tensions surrounding Chinese businesses practices in Africa. Yingying, a Chinese entrepreneur working in the continent, draws on a large survey of ethnic Chinese opinions in Africa to illuminate why the restaurant did what it did, wrong as it was.</b><br />
<b>---- Zander Rounds</b><br />
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On March 23, the most influential newspaper in Nairobi, Kenya published on its front page a story titled, “Restaurant: Sorry, No Africans, we don’t trust them after dark.” This attracted the attention of ethnic Chinese from all walks of life within Kenyan, and even those in other African countries.<br />
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Also on March 23, the author’s Quan Fei Gou [全非购] media platform published an article called, “The lead story in Kenya’s biggest newspaper reports on an incident where some Chinese restaurants bar locals at night; Chinese people, what do you think,” and conducted a survey. Based on the 312 received results, ethnic Chinese in Africa think, first of all, that this practice is painfully embarrassing, and subsequently, that this incident could have been a little more tactfully mediated. They also think that locals should be allowed to dine at night. To resolve public security concerns, restaurants can strengthen security practices. At the same time, the respondents commonly considered Kenyan’s commentary and media coverage of the incident too extreme.<br />
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Soon after, Kenya's the Nation’s official website published two articles. “<a href="http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Restaurant-has-no-licence-Agency/-/1056/2663520/-/cg20di/-/">Restaurant has no license: Agency</a>,” indicated that the Chinese restaurant was operating without a license. A second article, “<a href="http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Warning-to-cancel-Chinese-diner-s-permit/-/1056/2663514/-/fkomhy/-/">Warning to cancel Chinese diner’s permit</a>,” leads with the line: “Nairobi Governor Evan Kidero Monday warned he would cancel the license of a Chinese restaurant barring Africans from accessing their premises after 5pm.” Given that Nation is considered Kenya’s most influential major newspaper, and based on the way the lead articles handled their reporting and commentary, it seems that this incident will apparently not be easily concluded.<br />
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Ethnic Chinese readers all are incredibly concerned with this incident’s development and how it is handled. According to Africa’s Chinese population, this is just an individual case of Chinese and African cultural conflict. The local media’s coverage has been too extreme: the overwhelming majority of Chinese restaurants do serve locals all day. The principle consideration of Chinese restaurants that bar Africans in the evening is security. If the security situation in Nairobi over the past several years were better, there would not be Chinese restaurants that do not let locals enter. That said, even under the current security situation, the overwhelming majority of Nairobi’s Chinese restaurants and hotels still indiscriminately open their front doors and welcome all local guests—there is no discrimination against locals whatsoever.<br />
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Clearly, this incident seems to have been poorly handled. Additionally, the lenses of human rights, discrimination, and colonization were consciously applied to the incident which produced a harmful impact on every single ethnic Chinese person living in Nairobi.<br />
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In reality, the overwhelming majority of Chinese restaurants and hotels are incredibly friendly towards locals, consistently striving to move towards a local marketplace approach—like Panda Chinese Restaurant, China Jiangsu Restaurant, Bangkok Chinese Restaurant, For You Chinese Restaurant, Fragrant, Spring Garden, etc. When eating in these restaurants, often there will be many more locals than Chinese. Sometimes upon entering, there is not a Chinese person in sight, leading one to believe they went to the wrong place. One boss openly expressed that restaurants are precisely “walking the route” of local people. As Kenyan locals, not Chinese people, are the main source of business for restaurants, this is the operational strategy of localization and market adaption.<br />
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The reason this Chinese restaurant barred locals – namely, safety concerns – is very straightforward; as one reader puts it, they are just afraid of being robbed! Chinese enterprise work units in Africa are frequently unable to guarantee security and are repeatedly subject to robbery. Often these cases can never be solved; the lost property rarely ever can be recovered. This is an area of dissatisfaction for many Chinese in Africa. In Africa, Chinese businesses often pay taxes, promote local industry, and the economy, all the while personal and property security cannot be guaranteed. The restaurant identified by the local media does not completely bar locals. It is only because of safety considerations that it does not serve them at night. For Chinese companies doing business, if there is money to be made, it must be made—and money does not differentiate between black and white. They seem to be without recourse.<br />
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However, if carefully considered, questions do invariably arise arise: is safety really the only reason for this restaurant’s actions? Is there really no recourse? Are Chinese enterprises in Africa already complying with local laws? Respecting local cultures? Is it perhaps that Chinese enterprises, when dealing with this type of issue, do not have enough experience and only rely on their own, more simple understanding and implementation methods, by no means taking local experience into consideration? Have they perhaps not considered the impact and consequences of this kind of action?<br />
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In this author's opinion, the biggest reason Chinese enterprises inappropriately handled this incident is a lack of intercultural operational management experience. When managers encounter these issues, they do not know how to respond and can only issue a straightforward rejection. When encountering media interviews, they know even less how to voice an opinion in a way that will be self-advantageous. Ultimately, it comes down to an inability to respond to public incidents overseas and a deficiency of public relations crisis management capacity. <br />
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This is clearly a widespread problem that Chinese enterprises face in the process of going out [China's strategy to encourage enterprises to invest overseas - Editor]. This author thinks that, while the government has encouraged industry and businesspeople to go out, the service sector has yet to completely follow. State industries have managers that root themselves in Africa. Africa experience can then be passed down and a lot of unnecessary disputes can be avoided. However, the majority of private enterprises lack effective mechanisms for training and guidance. As more and more private enterprises enter Africa, and as private enterprises have become an important component of “going out”, it is extremely necessary for proper guidance and training. If embassies and Chinese firms in Africa do not engage in service-related groundwork, in the future the incidence of similar cultural, legal, and labor conflict will only increase, and the government will only be able to play firefighter.<br />
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According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 400,000 Chinese restaurants abroad. Chinese restaurants are among the mechanisms that touch the most locals and have the greatest influence. If embassies and overseas Chinese organizations can sufficiently utilize these restaurant and hotel spaces and engage them in organized guidance and training, using them as a resource to present Chinese culture to local and help dining locals to understand Chinese culture the right way. This could turn every Chinese restaurant into window for the transmission of Chinese culture, with the benefit of serving as a major public diplomacy success.<br />
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<b>Chinese Online Reactions</b></h2>
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<i>Translator: Melody Liang and Hongxiang Huang</i><br />
<i>Published on: 3/30/15</i><br />
<i>Source: China House's WeChat</i><br />
<i>Original text (in Chinese)</i>: <a href="http://star.news.sohu.com/20150325/n410267717.shtml?qq-pf-to=pcqq.group">https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzA5MTY1NDUwNA==&mid=204439795&idx=1&sn=3582053838371b491a9034396bd1c3f4&scene</a><br />
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Perspective 1: It was not about racial discrimination.</h4>
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Mr. Yang from a Chinese restaurant said: “Over 90% of the Chinese restaurants in Nairobi had been robbed before, and many of them had been robbed more than once. The robbers always came as ordinary customers at night, then they entered the restaurant and robbed us with guns. We are just doing our small business to make ends meet, and we do want more customers. We are just simply scared. There was one night we didn’t even dare to let a customer in even though he claimed to be a senator. Who could have known if he’s telling the truth or not? Hiring securities is no use. They would work with the robbers! We can’t trust anyone.” </div>
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“All the Chinese enterprises in Kenya were involved in this event. And this may be a warning for Chinese businessmen in Kenya, letting them know that the first thing they have to learn is to follow local laws. It is their responsibilities to receive all the licenses and follow all procedures. Don’t let local authorities have anything on them. Moreover, running business should be people-oriented. Chinese people may understand this restaurant’s choice, but local residents will consider it ‘racial discrimination’. Actually we can tackle the problems more politely.”</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbjUHltarkqfiGaHWJQDETt61NH5tAKhBZuK1ddPsBOXRl0naYdcFT5d5kT49GG8hRfqJ782LyTza40G_d5-V_oXQtyb0i_kwYNBhpy5aEviGZV26L5HVcldgX51HbGs6YXOmLQwKETQ/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbjUHltarkqfiGaHWJQDETt61NH5tAKhBZuK1ddPsBOXRl0naYdcFT5d5kT49GG8hRfqJ782LyTza40G_d5-V_oXQtyb0i_kwYNBhpy5aEviGZV26L5HVcldgX51HbGs6YXOmLQwKETQ/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+2.png" height="124" width="320" /></a>“I think if they are truly ‘racist’, they will not serve local people at anytime, however they serve them in the daytime. The reason they did not accept local customers at night is fear.” </div>
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“Every time I have a meal in Chinese restaurant I can always see Kenyans enjoy their meals there harmoniously.”</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYth4G7ae0_c0YvkQmDcz9c1jBAKdN1PgNIS50kwFf2mCAhz7MZtedT1Ur_HI0yQLed2QXevf4TP2PfqD5jyfbxoAVja8txY9ncT71WQ1Ug5SqfPpMn8lc0ids-jk7fk4tJKH2aF9CHgk/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYth4G7ae0_c0YvkQmDcz9c1jBAKdN1PgNIS50kwFf2mCAhz7MZtedT1Ur_HI0yQLed2QXevf4TP2PfqD5jyfbxoAVja8txY9ncT71WQ1Ug5SqfPpMn8lc0ids-jk7fk4tJKH2aF9CHgk/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+4.png" height="320" width="293" /></a>“First of all, the restaurant owners is not a scholar and we cannot expect them to be knowledgeable of all the consequences of their actions. Secondly, when they faced the problem and finally made the decision they did, nobody helped them and they didn't think of consulting others. This is a real picture of Chinese people in Kenya. Thirdly, doing this is probably the restaurant owner's last choice. Blaming them cannot solve the problem and we need to think if there are any alternative solutions that can help them.”</div>
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<b>Perspective 2: It was incredibly wrong.</b></h4>
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“This is exactly racial discrimination.. It is more urgent for them (the restaurant owners) to apologize than to explain.”</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSZTfSVIYPWx5V5pVWeW09KX1hYPh51zm_W0EHNobLHydz-j0bQj7CIT6MM3eALDD4f4x4JNwSLKebSZK6kCDD6noUJXjj85yWsDuIcF_7fSCcc-QN8CWHkhOaudS29YSW8iG41XTFtA/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+6.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSZTfSVIYPWx5V5pVWeW09KX1hYPh51zm_W0EHNobLHydz-j0bQj7CIT6MM3eALDD4f4x4JNwSLKebSZK6kCDD6noUJXjj85yWsDuIcF_7fSCcc-QN8CWHkhOaudS29YSW8iG41XTFtA/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+6.png" height="223" width="320" /></a>“It is exactly racial discrimination if anyone judges a person by his or her color. I don’t want to criticize my fellow Chinese, but I understand the Kenyans because I know their feelings when I face similar situations in the U.S. I read the comments on Mosoku’s Facebook page, and some people also mentioned their stores being robbed. However, most of the people still believe that this is not an excuse to justify racial profiling.” </div>
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“It is exactly racial discrimination if anyone judges a person by his or her color. Once I made an appointment with my Kenyan friend in the Family Restaurant at midday. My friend drove an over-sized vehicle, so they didn’t let him in. I decided to meet him in the doorway, but there was a person staring at us all the time. I understood him, but it was so stupid and abrasive. He (the restaurant owner) really does not need to dislike all the local people just because some of them hurt him. I think they owe my friend an apology, and they owe an apology to all the law-abiding Kenyans who they refused to serve.” </div>
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<b>Perspective 3: Chinese people could clear the air if they explained their reasons and apologize in time.</b></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreYZ_eZaj1ebPXN6NiZy4YSrnKcZP68Rj07nmiNZYnPEkCHI3mH_Ai3DorlmDcJTlyj2iwtA6gngnnwU0uZbM1wtXOGvf1N5RjY9fdVb8E6thAEdV29yzkXbJ1dNhcRcPPRBr62C_fas/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+8.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreYZ_eZaj1ebPXN6NiZy4YSrnKcZP68Rj07nmiNZYnPEkCHI3mH_Ai3DorlmDcJTlyj2iwtA6gngnnwU0uZbM1wtXOGvf1N5RjY9fdVb8E6thAEdV29yzkXbJ1dNhcRcPPRBr62C_fas/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+8.png" height="98" width="320" /></a></div>
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"I think only a sincere apology and changing the way that they operate their restaurant can help tackle this problem. They need to tighten up security." </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKSu726oRckQefnSzpXVj8wNrpoDa7qKmB2ZN_BtsE96UvF1ItcvGRySMmDg3-D8McuZHXpLpICA6k49fB3IlQTohewmto7BuuOHFT87ygzmDz8tKggB76nxqGMorfOeTn7ykS1LP7jU/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+9.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKSu726oRckQefnSzpXVj8wNrpoDa7qKmB2ZN_BtsE96UvF1ItcvGRySMmDg3-D8McuZHXpLpICA6k49fB3IlQTohewmto7BuuOHFT87ygzmDz8tKggB76nxqGMorfOeTn7ykS1LP7jU/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+9.png" height="188" width="320" /></a>"I think at this moment, any kind of explanation is useless. The restaurant owner should be careful about his statement. It would save him a lot of trouble if he phrased his statement the following way: 'Please accept our apology for only serving Chinese customers after 5:00 pm. We want to help Chinese feel at home when they are enjoying dinner.'"</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zQQp3m78Dfc6ISCRqQ17pml830s53LUjarxBEcQO1Sddeqz96_4i5BRJ1Xm0FngyzsQvOvd-inJCA6lkoX-Tn_hxvQy_ltYauA1ZjlrZh2u3NW49U8jWJ3Fyq2XUmDZ3GSdomW_zptc/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+10.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zQQp3m78Dfc6ISCRqQ17pml830s53LUjarxBEcQO1Sddeqz96_4i5BRJ1Xm0FngyzsQvOvd-inJCA6lkoX-Tn_hxvQy_ltYauA1ZjlrZh2u3NW49U8jWJ3Fyq2XUmDZ3GSdomW_zptc/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+10.png" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
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"We need to address the problem as soon as possible, make a public statement, propose an internal strategy, invite local people to Chinese restaurants, show our respect and our willingness to talk, and reject any disrespectful behavior."</div>
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<b>Perspective 4: Some people with ulterior motives are behind this. They are pulling strings and widening the conflict. We have to protect ourselves through legal approaches.</b></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLd6sXaqV32vP1BTI-JGMwl5R_vjj-RxDAzbYIfkIV6dh4dNgc5yyz3EiRosdvlcDV51yK5nFlhIDKsZ4IzkT4rtLNdSuFpkO0a6kTcvB0RzaqYsoKtC_S-ikCcxdgdTUj-CVug1CoaQ/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+11.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLd6sXaqV32vP1BTI-JGMwl5R_vjj-RxDAzbYIfkIV6dh4dNgc5yyz3EiRosdvlcDV51yK5nFlhIDKsZ4IzkT4rtLNdSuFpkO0a6kTcvB0RzaqYsoKtC_S-ikCcxdgdTUj-CVug1CoaQ/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+11.png" height="320" width="289" /></a>"Some thoughts regarding the event: I stayed in Kenya for more than two years during which I have been to all the Chinese restaurants in Nairobi and some of the restaurant owners became my friends. It is very understandable why they did so, because when I was in Nairobi the robberies happened in the Chungking Restaurant and in the Sunshine Restaurant right beside the Family Restaurant. I was thinking: in addition to ‘say no’, are there any alternative solutions for this? I can’t think of other methods. Similarly, not just the catering industry, but all Chinese people in Kenya and also Chinese in all the countries in Africa are easily ‘favored’ by local robbers and local corrupt officials. However, how many local Chinese communities organized effective ways to help each other to response to robberies? What did the Japanese and the Koreans do here? Why can’t we learn from them? To be specific, it might be an improvement if some of the Chinese restaurant owners made the decision together to not accept local people after dark. Although they did not fully consider the strong reaction from society, at least they are starting to organize themselves together under a single mechanism."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYu9DBk81O5z90-mFK6IZexSd4YvnfxC5zynG4LGtpvqA8eNkF5qN-RmUGYD87tfYu9ofzp5mT49tjE2OmWgKJojPMcOH6xR-75mOKPBIian1_fLsj1dD873uNB0eKM5YcTa8XxU8U-Y4/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+12.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYu9DBk81O5z90-mFK6IZexSd4YvnfxC5zynG4LGtpvqA8eNkF5qN-RmUGYD87tfYu9ofzp5mT49tjE2OmWgKJojPMcOH6xR-75mOKPBIian1_fLsj1dD873uNB0eKM5YcTa8XxU8U-Y4/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+12.png" height="320" width="287" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZgKp0gMsEbKzHWVSo72aZSlktlaszo_YXXbIu0HmqwPn4yTUPblHBhoApF0afKDH2nGuSDQpJQFYofrc9LbuHtbgW4ukMTUGkCm4Yqw8uR7u0GRm4aNfwgNchvpRJmBLM1twZQaHFnM/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+13.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZgKp0gMsEbKzHWVSo72aZSlktlaszo_YXXbIu0HmqwPn4yTUPblHBhoApF0afKDH2nGuSDQpJQFYofrc9LbuHtbgW4ukMTUGkCm4Yqw8uR7u0GRm4aNfwgNchvpRJmBLM1twZQaHFnM/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+13.png" height="320" width="282" /></a>"My friend kept refreshing their Facebook page since yesterday, but her voice is not loud enough. I hope Chinese people in Kenya who have opinions can communicate them and and separate truth from falsehood. Please support us on Facebook if you don’t have your own. Ms. Zhao Yang is still in jail. She is a brave and honest girl. She went to Juba during the South Sudan war as a volunteer. She also participated in Kenya’s environmental protection activity, in which she walked from Arusha, Tanzania to Kenya over eight days. She hasn't eaten meat for a long time. All of her friends who know her are fighting for her on Facebook, but their voices are not loud enough. She never said anything like Africans are not allowed to enter her restaurant. That rule was set long time ago. She and her team just took over the restaurant less than a month ago. This event was reported by an African head waiter. There are a lot of people who intend to use this event to alienate the relationship between China and Africa. Please use your voice on Facebook."</div>
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Yes, manager Xu and Zhao Yang’s mom officially took over the restaurant on March 1st. They did not even have a cook for the first week."</div>
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"It is so unfair."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gtwGKcZxuVT33GAyV9ys9_iWi26qLZlW0W_EP-FnVvoc2jtUCWeShC9ipfulqW8PXJSBQS4GL4dUY4symy52_mDa1UvYcNx9qLBIlFs2gYE2Fv3Dij8Pmu8jFRxSHcPAAWNwwwu4ri0/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+14.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gtwGKcZxuVT33GAyV9ys9_iWi26qLZlW0W_EP-FnVvoc2jtUCWeShC9ipfulqW8PXJSBQS4GL4dUY4symy52_mDa1UvYcNx9qLBIlFs2gYE2Fv3Dij8Pmu8jFRxSHcPAAWNwwwu4ri0/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+14.png" height="274" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Perspective 5: If there is going to be any demonstration, it will probably end up pretty ugly. </b></h4>
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Mr. Zhang from a Chinese restaurant explained: "Our restaurant always follows the local law, but we still worry about getting looted and vandalized. Now we are terrified."<br />
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<b>Perspective 6: Chinese community should stick together to face this issue and provide training accordingly.</b></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fi2cXRlAUFXViKdvo_QI-2oa8hMqSubd1NfS_ocP9aat4Qoex53AjuNthfjw3HJLqPbo-khTxOQjPuvlu3C_tw1PeNQYp7Gcu7002eSiOO_x1u0Xj5tqlLQ6qpqeR6uPWQFYpRH7624/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+15.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fi2cXRlAUFXViKdvo_QI-2oa8hMqSubd1NfS_ocP9aat4Qoex53AjuNthfjw3HJLqPbo-khTxOQjPuvlu3C_tw1PeNQYp7Gcu7002eSiOO_x1u0Xj5tqlLQ6qpqeR6uPWQFYpRH7624/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+15.png" height="320" width="282" /></a>“Personally, I think there are two crucial points: first of all, this restaurant needs to be punished no matter the excuse. We can analyze the reasons ourselves in order to propose improvement in the future, but it’s not what local people care about right now. If it is real discrimination, then it needs to be punished. A determined attitude will avoid many conflicts. Secondly, we should resolutely appose any discrimination and anti-China words and behaviors. It is especially vital that the local authorities must protect legally operated restaurants and companies.”</div>
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“Actually we have Chinese associations in Africa, and they should do something to help each other to ensure security.”</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgnmj3gf4IJtMz6nEU5ghjDgkFY2WopSCWkdXUOVrQ9SXo6xAjb4m3pSuGoLYBHffbqs5BtUHPvNp4PzaLbKWTRKIafhhyrynR3ZKkz4u4b6pLlsIWQfViR8kD6YKKqjX2xpIMNg0LaY/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+17.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgnmj3gf4IJtMz6nEU5ghjDgkFY2WopSCWkdXUOVrQ9SXo6xAjb4m3pSuGoLYBHffbqs5BtUHPvNp4PzaLbKWTRKIafhhyrynR3ZKkz4u4b6pLlsIWQfViR8kD6YKKqjX2xpIMNg0LaY/s1600/Chinese+Restaurant+17.png" height="209" width="320" /></a>“Why Chinese associations in Africa are not functioning and how can they start to function are worth discussing. Maybe this event can stimulate the growth of Chinese communities. It cannot address the problem if there are only appeals and condemnations”</div>
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In Kenya, I learned that most Chinese people believed it was inappropriate for Chinese Restaurant to do such thing, even though their initial rationale was understandable. And we can also learn from the comments made by foreign media that the Chinese people in Africa are not aware of the information mentioned above. Many foreigners simply thought Chinese people were against them, but the truth is entirely different. Chinese people are condemning this act just like the Kenyans. Furthermore, many Chinese are gradually becoming suspicious about those who are condemning this act because they know little about mass media and how civil society functions-- instead asking is there any anti-China sentiment involved? This kind of attitude may further politicize this incident. Under those circumstances, people may focus on conspiracy theories rather than focusing on the issue itself. If the situation worsens, it would be incredibly difficult for both parties to understand and communicate with each other. Finally, I want to point out there is a huge gap between Chinese and international society. The Chinese community felt aggrieved while foreigners considered all Chinese people evil. The reason why the gap between two societies is widening is that a functional and practical communication mechanism has not been established. This leads to a situation where everyone is talking but nobody is listening. If both sides have preconceived ideas against each other, it would be much more difficult to mediate disputes.</div>
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<i>Summarized by: Hongxiang Huang (China House)</i></div>
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<i>Email: syohuanghongxiang@gmail.com</i></div>
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<i>Website: www.chinagoingout.org</i></div>
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<i>Translated by: Melody Liang (ECHO)</i></div>
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<i>Email: echotranslationus@gmail.com</i></div>
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<i>Website: echo-international.org</i></div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-83280413003377567072015-03-24T19:07:00.000-07:002015-04-20T13:02:18.348-07:00Translation Tuesday: China's Peacekeepers in Mali: Bringing the “Lei Feng Spirit” to West AfricaBy <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laiyinyuan">Laiyin Yuan</a><br />
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<i>Author: Bai Yuntian, Li Xianghui<br />Translator: Laiyin Yuan<br />Published on: 03/04/2015<br />Source: China National Radio (CNR) Military<br />Original text (in Chinese):</i> <a href="http://military.cnr.cn/zgjq/20150304/t20150304_517879269.html">http://military.cnr.cn/zgjq/20150304/t20150304_517879269.html</a> <br />
<b><br />Lei Feng, an ordinary Chinese soldier in the People's Liberation Army, was the Chinese model of altruism and modesty due to his good deeds and selfless contribution to the people. Now, Chinese soldiers are bringing the "spirit of Lei Feng" to West Africa.<br />---- Laiyin Yuan (Translator)</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVR35KPvIZuV0mHSvSotwJtLaX4zNu02Oy3cXnWma5Aovsiz63ZKObilQV5omtHgKwskrrb-owjmFDuFd6w4h_8Wz4ZyWR0ndInaIX37bXXAZGMk75jNK3Ufj_DdYiyK7hyFsLaSiR04I/s1600/Lei+Feng.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVR35KPvIZuV0mHSvSotwJtLaX4zNu02Oy3cXnWma5Aovsiz63ZKObilQV5omtHgKwskrrb-owjmFDuFd6w4h_8Wz4ZyWR0ndInaIX37bXXAZGMk75jNK3Ufj_DdYiyK7hyFsLaSiR04I/s1600/Lei+Feng.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Photo 1: China’s second batch of peacekeeping troops in Mali are showing the locals how to read the blueprints of prefabricated homes/Photo: Bai Yuntian</i></div>
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“We are able to live in these cozy prefabricated homes thanks to your generous help,” said Ayette (transliteration from Chinese – Laiyin), a Malian, to the Chinese peacekeepers lending a helping hand in Gao Super Camp on the morning of March 4. Recently, the soldiers of China’s second peacekeeping troops were "learning from Lei Feng, to help people, to sow friendship," and to promote the Lei Feng spirit widely in West Africa. <br />
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Shortly after Spring Festival, the peacekeepers were dispatched to Gao Super Camp for prefab house construction without any “post-holiday recovery.”<br />
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Orlando, the United Nations’ Mali Mission officer who supervised the Super Camp, introduced that “the process of prefab house construction by 17 Malian employees on this site has been very slow due to the limitations in technology and skills. It has been more than a half month since they stationed in the Super Camp, but they are still living in thatched huts now.”<br />
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<i>Photo 2: Soldiers from China’s second batch peacekeeping troops in Mali are teaching the locals how to build a prefab house/</i><i>Photo: Bai Yuntian</i></div>
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Upon learning this situation, Chinese peacekeepers took the initiative to help on the construction site. They shipped the prefab walls and frames, taught the locals how to install doors and windows, and explained how to properly check and use the air-conditioners. The engineering squad's Wan Xin said that the team taught every step, ranging from leveling the house's foundation to fixing screws rivets. <br />
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In addition to teaching construction, the peacekeepers also brought warmth to the Mali locals. Many Malians were suffering from hand scratches by sheet layering because they could not afford gloves. Zhong Yazhou, a non-commissioned officer of the engineering squad, gave the local employees his own gloves and won their praise. With the assistance and guidance of the Chinese peacekeepers, the locals were able to move into the well-constructed houses within one week. Their living conditions were much improved. <br />
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It is reported that, so far, Chinese peacekeepers have deployed 322 times with 54 trucks and other equipment to help lift containers for Bangladeshi troops, assist Nigerien troops with logistics, construct the Gao waste disposal station, and built five prefab houses. <br />
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<b>About China National Radio</b> (<a href="http://www.cnr.cn/">http://www.cnr.cn/</a>) <br />
<i>CNR is the national radio station of the People's Republic of China headquartered in Beijing. Its official website, <a href="http://www.cnr.cn/">www.cnr.cn</a>, was established in 1998, which made the CNR one of the first central news media with its own web portal. It has over 50 varied channels including News, Finance, Reviews, Military, Entertainment, Sports, Travel, Games, Galleries, Video, etc., and also more than 20 regional websites including Jilin, Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, Henan, Guangxi, Gansu Provinces. With CNR’s 16 broadcast frequency, over 180 member radio stations of China Broadcasting Union and more than 1000 journalists in 39 offices nationwide, cnr.cn is prestigious with its fast, accurate, credible and in-depth original reports that are widely used by domestic and international media. </i></div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-77871061882394617442015-03-17T19:25:00.001-07:002015-03-17T20:02:59.447-07:00Chinese Companies in Africa: Is Addressing Labor Conflicts Mission Impossible?By Hou Yixiao<br />
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“We have been working together for almost half a year, and they can understand me although I can’t speak English and can only use gestures,” explained a Chinese manager proudly when asked about his relationship with his local staff on a construction site in Nairobi, Kenya. He is in his fifties and is originally from the countryside. Walking inside the construction site of the new Two Rivers shopping mall, there was no shouting, no raised voices when orders were given, and minimal disagreement between local workers and Chinese managers. I could see local workers actively greeting managers and embracing visitors with friendly smiles.<br />
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Chinese vice president Li Yuanchao emphasized in the second <a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/africa/2014-06/18/c_126633890.htm">China Tanzania Investment Forum</a> that <a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/2014-06/24/c_1111276991.htm">China has cooperated with Africa for decades based on “mutual benefit”</a>. China provides Africa badly-needed finance and trade, while Africa provides the PRC with a steady supply of natural resources. According to the Economist, <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21574012-chinese-trade-africa-keeps-growing-fears-neocolonialism-are-overdone-more">China has been Africa’s top trading partner since 2013</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgfpuOtT9e-vxc0iUHR4juK5Y4iz-F_RMDwEiqy1a8AjpMyrDq86-6tvoQTnnaFrLH0K2W0iVfRzHk_F4D_hgZheApOkGMBnG6jUwoAJpei-HziNTMJ4NLkE3rPZ3hKJ8jczSauWCHKuHYA87NUp7bV8iCVkMmOYab4sdXnBru4dGnmnTxrRJ6scz_uJja0=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.chinaafricaproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/China-265x300.png" /></a>The contractor for Two Rivers' construction is the Chinese company AVIC International. The mall is planned to be the largest shopping center in East Africa, ideally situated near Nairobi’s diplomatic community and its wealthier residents. Some 200 Chinese employees and 1,000 local workers are working together to build the new mall. The Chinese managers are responsible for training, supervision, and ensuring overall safety; each leads around 20 local workers to accomplish their daily assignments. “We are required to finish the project before Christmas. Although we are in a hurry, we are still confident that we’ll be able to meet the deadline,” explained the project’s director, Xiong, whose name has beene changed for this story in order to protect his identity.<br />
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Efficiency is one area where Chinese and African perceptions differ substantially. Nonetheless, Director Xiong says he is able to avoid problems before they materialize through effective management and communication across his various teams.<br />
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According to Duan (alias), also a young English-speaking graduate who is a manager in charge of electrical engineering, the Chinese offer salaries that are above industry average, which, he says, leads to higher employee morale and retention. S.K. Kuloba, a senior official in the Ministry of Labor, Social Security, and Services offers another explanation: it is caused by “perception.” Before Chinese companies came to Kenya, they thought that the labor prices would be high, but it turned out the opposite so they are willing to pay more. He believes that salary is not a general problem among Chinese companies. Mr. Lu, a seasonede researcher in the field of labor conflict, also suggested that as a State-Owned Enterprise (SOE), AVIC has the ability to offer higher salaries.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgP4ADfrx3nBj2WJYwwbcGybyaeVljaXyzy3JG1E9iU6DJwLxQ8wef_E1_kdOZPRlYe_IvtvVH0UHj4hQbTjh-OibeZoGGmI2IBagWUdl_xQ2iKmn5TBagiw_l9tb1CuEZNZ_sGlOSQwF364sugsAwfiy4B9Pu55OF72y-5YEaXyQTv3Efhpkw=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.chinaafricaproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/China4.jpg" /></a><br />
Duan also claimed that AVIC provides extra benefits to encourage their local staff to work overtime while being understanding if some workers may be reluctant to do so. As the construction deadline approaches, everyone at the AVIC site now works seven days a week. For local employees, unaccustomed to the intense pace, fatigue is a major issue along with complaints about the “crazy” hours that are now commonplace on this project site and at many Chinese companies in Kenya as well as across the continent. The labor deputy Kuloba concluded “the Chinese push projects, while local people feel odd when asked to work overtime.” It highlights a difference between Chinese and local expectations and different work ethics. Companies, he said, must strike a balance between “labor protection” and “labor productivity.” “People are not machines, they want to feel human,” the deputy said. For the Two Rivers project, Xiong suggested that at first, the workers were enthusiastic to work overtime for the extra money. However, after several months of long hours, with few, if any days off, fatigue began to set in, prompting more and more workers to take sick leave. “The local workers alternate work with rest, that’s why they’re always healthy.” He found the Chinese working style to be too stressful: “Africans live in the present and think in the present, while Chinese think about the future, that’s why we grow old so fast.” that empathy allows Xiong to respect cultural differences as he tries to avoid problems with his local employees.<br />
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The benefits of working overtime is not limited to wages, but also generous sick leave and more. Workers reflect that if they work past 11:00 pm, they can get two glasses of milk, two pieces of bread, and 200 shillings as a transportation fee. There are doubts regarding whether working seven days a week is a violation of the labor law, and Christine A. Muga, a local lawyer who has worked for a Chinese real estate company, clarified that “all employees are entitled to at least one rest day for every period of seven days. However if the employer and employee agree otherwise, the employee must be compensated appropriately otherwise the employee can claim overtime for every extra hour worked, as stated in Section 27 of the Employment Act of 2007.”<br />
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Xiong points out that AVIC attempted to overcome language barriers both through helping those who don not know English and by strategically working with human resources to make sure all departments have what they need. This is important, as language is a major barrier in most Chinese companies in Africa. A worker who claims to have been unfairly dismissed from a Chinese construction project said, “It is ridiculous, they send people from China to manage us but we can’t talk. And they beat us for not doing our job correctly.”<br />
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For Two Rivers, Duan said that they language differences proved a major barrier when the project first started. Most of the Chinese managers do not have the education to speak English. The company was sued in court because a Chinese manager allegedly fought with a local employee atop a tractor who was injured when the Chinese manager pushed him off the vehicle. The Chinese company then failed to provide proper medical treatment or compensation, and was fined 50,000 shillings. After this incident, the company started to become more conscious about the risks of miscommunication and opened Sunday classes to teach their local staff Chinese. They also employed local translators to send to the scene in the event of an emergency.<br />
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A middle-aged Chinese manager from the countryside in charge of leveling cement suggested that he uses his phones for translation when it comes to special terms, and uses body gestures to give orders. “We understand each other as we have been working together for more than half-a-year.” Orderly workers going about their task indicate that he is right. He also reports an interesting observation from the scaffolder section where a new language combining Swahili, English, and Chinese has been invented to help communication between Chinese and Africans coworkers.<br />
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However, another section of AVIC is having difficulties with labor issues. On February 14, I witnessed a case in the regional labor department where the AVIC section building villas in Karen had problems with the termination of a group of local employees. 10 workers reported that they were dismissed because they asked for protective gear when removing sewage and were given neither notice nor extra salary as they claimed to be entitled to according to Kenya’s labor law. “They threatened us that if we are dismissed we will be blacklisted, and we’ll never be able to work in the same company again. They are treating us like dogs.” One local worker, who has worked for three Chinese construction companies and has been constructing Karen villas for two years, was extremely upset at the Chinese policies after being fired unexpectedly.<br />
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Mrs. Mukanga, a Kenyan official, showed disappointment in the Chinese companies, stating that “they are not cooperative enough” as they never respond to letters or come to meetings. I acted as a mediator and talked to the Chinese project director Mr. Gao, a young graduate from Civil Aviation University of China, who claimed he has never received the letter from the labor office. Though he has stayed in Kenya for 21 months, he is still not familiar with the labor law and he eagerly wants to learn the precise measures. He claimed that they are cutting employees as the project has come to an end and the workers are all casual workers. “I don’t know exactly how much we should pay as termination fee, and I don’t know who to trust.” Christine A. Muga also confirms “the local departments could be taking advantage of their ignorance.”<br />
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This is among the most prevalent issues that Chinese companies encounter as they are not familiar with local labor laws. Muga suggests that the only way to solve this is to be familiar with the local law at all times, as there are different ways of compensating different types of workers in different types of employment. “The best source for understanding the legal requirements would be a law firm which can explain the legal requirements and assist the businesses to come up with a framework within which to ensure that they comply with the law.” She advises Chinese companies to address these sorts of labor issues.<br />
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Some local companies attempt to eliminate such conflicts by employing local labor agencies to handle their staffing . Beth Wanjira from Corporate Staffing Service, a local agency, said, “we can be your eyes, and ears on the ground to monitor and handle labor issues.” However, she recognizes that there are Chinese companies among her clients. Xiong claimed, “There are too many procedures to go through if I work with labor agencies, and I am not sure whether the workers would be suitable.”<br />
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The founder of the China House, Huang Hongxiang, concludes that for the Chinese it all comes down to the bottom line, “they see the extra cost, but cannot not foresee the benefits”.<br />
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Notes: Yixiao Hou is currently a student at Fudan International School in Shanghai and she is also a China Africa Seed Research Fellow at the Nairobi-based <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chinahousekenya">China House Kenya</a>, the first Chinese social enterprise in Africa.<br />
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<em>A version of this post <a href="http://www.chinaafricaproject.com/chinese-companies-africa-csr-labor/">first appeared</a> on the <a href="http://www.chinaafricaproject.com/">China Africa Project</a></em><em>, </em><em>a multimedia resource dedicated to exploring every aspect of China’s growing engagement with Africa.</em>
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<i>Author: N/A</i></div>
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<i>Translator: Zander Rounds<br />Published on: 3/2/15<br />Source: Xinhua News Agency<br />Original text (in Chinese): <a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/ent/2015-03/12/c_127573948.htm">http://news.xinhuanet.com/ent/2015-03/12/c_127573948.htm</a></i><br />
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It might not be so uncommon to see a foreigner that speaks Mandarin fluently. But its not every day that you see a foreigner who comfortably “plays” with Chinese national culture! Just a few days ago, the Gansu television program Daguo Wenhua [The Culture of a Great Nation] invited an African brother who is well-versed in Chinese national culture. As soon as Jiege, a Cameroonian, entered the stage during the last program, he attracted the attention of the entire audience. While his dark skin and authentic Mandarin was enough to stun Internet users, his self-introduction – delivered in Chinese opera form – even inspired Old Gu’s repeated praise.<br />
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So who actually is Jiege? It is understood that the young African guy who enlivened Chinese television screens is actually a bookworm. Not only has he received a PhD in mathematics, but he also is studying for a second PhD at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. At the same time, Jiege is an authentic “China fan”—beyond speaking fluent Chinese, he also has an extensive understanding of Chinese traditional culture, like Beijing Opera and the art of face changing. He even studied “cross talk” as an apprentice under Guangquan. <br />
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Jiege appeared extremely excited to participate in this episode of Gansu’s Daguo Wenhua. “I really like Chinese traditional culture and therefore love this program, Daguo Wenhua. It is a great honor to have the opportunity to stand on this stage. For a ‘China fan’ like me, this really means a lot,” Jiege responded when interviewed by a reporter after the second section of the show was broadcast.<br />
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Jiege’s performance during the show surprised many Internet users. It’s not just that Jiege has cursory knowledge of a range of Chinese traditional customs and national culture—he even has his own original understandings. Although in the end Jiege was unable to achieve “National Culture Expert”, his high score of 80 points still received warm applause from the studio audience.<br />
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For a large-scale education variety show that places the dissemination of traditional cultural at its core, the participation of an esteemed foreign guest undoubtedly was a high point for this show. According to the person responsible for Gansu’s television programming, Daguo Wenhua’s invitation of foreign guests not only strengthens the quality of the show but also has a positive impact on the dissemination of Chinese traditional culture on a scope that cannot be overlooked. At the same time, he also revealed that this weekend, Daguo Wenhua will bring a special program of foreigners, which will be even more fantastic than the previous episode.<br />
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<b>About Xinhua News Agency</b> (http://www.xinhuanet.com/)<br />
<i>"Xinhua News Agency is the state press agency of the People's Republic of China. Xinhua is a ministry- level department subordinate to the State Council. It operates 107 foreign bureaus worldwide, and maintains 31 bureaus in China—one for each province, plus a military bureau. Xinhua is the sole channel for the distribution of important news related to the Communist Party and Chinese central government." (Wikipedia)</i></div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-24224394611447728972015-03-10T20:03:00.001-07:002015-03-10T20:03:29.793-07:00Translation Tuesday: Chinese in South Africa Gradually Entering the Local Mainstream Sectors By <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laiyinyuan">Laiyin Yuan</a><br />
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<i>Author: Song Fangcan </i><br />
<i>Translator: Laiyin Yuan </i><br />
<i>Published on: 03/05/2015 </i><br />
<i>Source: Chinese News Service (CNS) </i><br />
<i>Original text (in Chinese):</i> <a href="http://www.chinanews.com/m/gj/2015/03-05/7101911.shtml">http://www.chinanews.com/m/gj/2015/03-05/7101911.shtml</a> <br />
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<b>The new generation of Chinese immigrants in South Africa is quite different from their predecessors. With better education, more ambition, and international vision, they are breaking the old stereotypes of overseas Chinese as ill-mannered or cheap laborers. This new generation is laying a solid foundation for their future as well as the future of other overseas Chinese. </b><br />
<b>---- Laiyin Yuan (Translator)</b><br />
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Having no knowledge of English; preferring to carry cash; loving abalone, ivory, and rhinoceros horn; and only spending time with their own small social circles… these are all stereotypes that some South Africans have for the local Chinese population. However, with the arrival of many new immigrants from mainland China and the rise of local Chinese South Africans, more and more Chinese are integrating into South African society and entering major industries in the. <br />
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“Today will be the beginning of your brand new life as an attorney,” said to He Hai (Jacky), a Shanghai-born Chinese, by Judge Ismael [transliteration from Chinese – Laiyin] of the South Africa Supreme Court on March 3. On this very day, He Hai successfully passed the South African attorney bar examination and took an oath to become an attorney. He is also believed to be the first mainland-born Chinese to pass the bar in South Africa. <br />
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He Hai became a “rising star” in some media outlet’s eyes five years ago when he was still studying at the University of Pretoria. During the South Africa World Cup, he communicated with journalists from all over the world and left a deep impression on the visiting Chinese reporters as the only Chinese volunteer. However, this experience was only a prelude for him to provide service for overseas Chinese in South Africa as a locally-based Chinese national. <br />
<br />
He Hai moved from Shanghai to South Africa with his parents when he was 10, and quickly adapted to local living, speaking fluent English and many other local languages. Before entering college, he chose to major in law due to his outstanding English and communication skills, which are considered a major barrier for most of the Chinese students. After four years of undergraduate study and two years of a required internship, he successfully passed the bar. “It was an extremely difficult process. When I was enrolled, there were more than 700 people applying for the law major in our school. Half of them failed in the first year and, of that, only nearly 100 remained and persisted until graduation. After graduation, only those who have interned in excellent law firms could get job offers from large law firms. The last obstacle to overcome is the bar exam,” He Hai explained. <br />
<br />
He Hai is not alone in entering South Africa's major industries. China has been the largest trade partner of South Africa in recent years, and South Africa is also China’s largest trade partner on the African continent. With South Africa loosening it visa policy towards BRIC countries’ corporate executives, there are more and more Chinese in the country. The political, economic, and cultural exchanges between both countries will also be more frequent. Many South African companies with international vision are paying special attention to China’s trends and voices, and providing great platforms for Chinese in South Africa. As a result, many Chinese graduates choose to be accountants and doctors there. <br />
<br />
Now He Hai has already signed a contract with Adams & Adams, the largest intellectual property law firm in the Southern Hemisphere. He is optimistic about the cooperation between China and South Africa: “many Chinese companies are entering South Africa and using it as a springboard to enter the African market.” Believing he will play an important role in this cooperation, he articulated: “many Chinese enterprises will encounter various difficulties when entering South Africa, such as intellectual property right issues, and I can provide high-quality services for them.” <br />
<br />
For the Chinese youth similar to He Hai, becoming an attorney or accountant is not the end of the story. There is still a long way for them to go. “After I passed the bar, I will keep striving for the best in my career. As for being a politician, it requires years of experience. Currently I am still trying to find financial security, so I have no intention towards politics.” However, He Hai still has some expectations. “In South Africa, many politicians are law major graduates.”<br />
<br />
<b>About the China News Service</b> (<a href="http://www.chinanews.com/">http://www.chinanews.com/</a>) <br />
<i>China News Service (CNS) is not only a state-level news agency in China with tasked with spreading news worldwide, but also an international news agency with the majority of subscribers hailing from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, overseas Chinese, and related foreigners. CNS was sponsored and established by Chinese journalists and renowned overseas Chinese experts on October 1, 1952. Liao Chengzhi, former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, was the founder as well as the leader of CNS. Based on a multi-channel, multi-level, and multi-function news release system, CNS provides a huge range of products regarding news and information, namely scripts, photos, websites, videos and SMS, without pause, 24 hours a day.</i>Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-43858436030017749472015-03-03T18:24:00.000-08:002015-03-03T18:24:02.436-08:00Translation Tuesday: The Chinese in Africa long to “celebrate New Year like migratory birds”By <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/alexander-rounds/23/2b0/b2a">Zander Rounds</a><br />
<br />
<div>
<i>Author: Song Fangcan</i></div>
<div>
<i>Translator: Zander Rounds<br />Published on: 2/24/15<br />Source: China News Service<br />Original text (in Chinese):</i> <a href="http://www.chinanews.com/hr/2015/02-24/7075435.shtml">http://www.chinanews.com/hr/2015/02-24/7075435.shtml</a><br />
<br />
<b>What is it like for the Chinese living and working in Africa? This article about China’s “migratory birds” – the people that return home from abroad every holiday season – provides some insight into what it is like being abroad during the holidays. </b><br />
<b>---- Zander Rounds (Translator) </b><br />
<br />
During a skit from the Year of the Goat Spring Festival Gala that took place on New Year’s Eve, a lonely father (Played by Pan Changjiang) morosely passes the time in an empty car. After a “serendipitous meeting” at a train station he receives a call from his son saying that he has already returned from Africa to celebrate the New Year. Viewers are moved as this previously unattainable dream of reunion becomes a happy reality. Although this is only an art piece, now returning to China has undeniably become a common practice for Africa’s Chinese people.<br />
<br />
“The most remote distance in the world is when you are in China but I am in Africa.” Someone posted this sorrowful message. However, along with developments in communication technology and as transportation methods become more convenient and individual purchasing power increases, more and more overseas Chinese in Africa return to China (their ancestral home) to celebrate the New Year. This is no longer an unattainable dream. During this traditional festival more and more people embark on this homeward-bound, “migratory bird-like” journey to celebrate the holiday.<br />
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There are a lot of Chinese enterprises and overseas Chinese in Kenya. All local ethnic Chinese people are fond of using WeChat to wish people a Happy New Year. When doing so, some people even specifically indicate that they are, “Wishing everyone a happy new year from my homeland.” Their words clearly demonstrate their proud and happy sentiments.<br />
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In South Africa, up to now there are 30,000 overseas Chinese living as residents or immigrants. The past few years, South African president Zuma has issued a congratulatory note, wishing Chinese people a happy new year. Although ethnic Chinese compatriots have achieved great success in every domain, they still inevitably feel a tug of yearning for their homeland and the relatives that they miss.<br />
<br />
Huang Jingjing is the president of South Africa’s China Culture and Art Exchange Association. She recruits a lot of Chinese people in South Africa to participate in events like singing and beauty competitions and is the most recognizable face in South Africa’s ethnic Chinese community’s activities and performances. As the Year of the Goat Spring Festival approached however, she discontinued a lot of chaotic work in order to resolutely return home. <br />
<br />
“I have been settled in South Africa for eight years.” Huang Jingjing told the reporter, “One must return home to celebrate the New Year. It is our tradition. Now my parents are getting older, often during the celebration the only ones left are the two elderly folk. I hope I can return to accompany them. In the future, every year I will strive to return home to celebrate the New Year. Although New Year celebrations in South Africa are also quite lively, in China they are more loving and comfortable."<br />
<br />
Besides family affection, ethnic Chinese are also moved to return home to celebrate the New Year by the desire to pursue the traditional holiday flavor. The majority of Sub-Saharan Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere. Spring Festival overlaps precisely with the beginning of fall locally. Under the scorching sun, there is very little of that traditional New Year flavor. Even in the highest latitude part of South Africa, it is common to not see a single snowflake all year round. This year, a few northern Chinese provinces saw the floating of snowflakes, arousing even more intense nostalgia in those far from home. <br />
<br />
Wang Ning (pseudonym) is one of the people who returned home, “trudging through snow to see the plum tree.” He comes from the north, where, in his father’s eyes, he had a respectable job that made everyone in family proud. However, ten years ago he got on an indirect flight headed for Africa. During Spring Festival, he once again reflected upon the choice he made that year: admittedly, he was exhausted, but his father now lived in a new house with a magnificent pavilion and greatly increased living standards—a good deal of toil but truly worth it. <br />
<br />
“The dust of homesickness can be blown off, while the wrinkles on a forehead cannot be blown away. Only having finished walking the roads under heaven will you think of returning through home’s door.” Twenty-one years ago, the singer Jiang Tao passionately sang this at the Spring Festival Gala. As if with these lyrics in their ears, the footsteps of Africa’s Chinese people returning to celebrate the New Year are lighthearted and resolute. <br />
<br />
<b>About the China News Service</b> (<a href="http://www.chinanews.com/">http://www.chinanews.com/</a>)<br />
<i>China News Service (CNS) is not only a state-level news agency in China with tasked with spreading news worldwide, but also an international news agency with the majority of subscribers hailing from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, overseas Chinese, and related foreigners. CNS was sponsored and established by Chinese journalists and renowned overseas Chinese experts on October 1, 1952. Liao Chengzhi, former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, was the founder as well as the leader of CNS. Based on a multi-channel, multi-level, and multi-function news release system, CNS provides a huge range of products regarding news and information, namely scripts, photos, websites, videos and SMS, without pause, 24 hours a day.</i></div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5133793244416752440.post-62401524815762760792015-03-02T18:20:00.001-08:002015-03-04T07:57:14.813-08:00How to use Chinese social media to effectively engage Chinese people in elephant conservation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
By Li Jiayu</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
“Hello, guys. Do you have Weibo and WeChat?” said Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder and CEO of Save The Elephants the first time he met us. It really surprised me to meet a foreigner so familiar with Chinese social media.</div>
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However, after communicating with the staff and many similar conservation groups, I have gradually discovered that, despite the strong interest, these organizations knew little about using Weibo and WeChat (the most popular Chinese social media platforms) effectively. “I don’t understand what our translated Weibo account name means,” Resson, the project officer of Save The Elephants, explained when I pointed out that Save The Elephant’s account name was too long and confusing for Chinese people to understand.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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According to the China Internet Network Information Centre (CINIC), the population of <a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/tech/2015-02/03/c_127453720.htm?link=360828%CD%F8">Internet users in China is 632 million as of June 2014. Among this group, Weibo users account for 249 million people</a>, which means that it is a very important platform for Chinese people. In order to raise Chinese awareness regarding elephant conservation, organizations must successfully utilize Weibo. So if elephant protection organizations can successfully utilize Weibo, that would be a powerful tool in raising Chinese awareness.<br />
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<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 818px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 34.75pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 34.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.65pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">International
Conservation Organizations<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 34.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.95pt;" valign="top" width="407"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Weibo<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">(Followers)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 17.4pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 17.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.65pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Save The
Elephants<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 17.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.95pt;" valign="top" width="407"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">1,872<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 17.4pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 17.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.65pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">WWF<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 17.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.95pt;" valign="top" width="407"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">190,000<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 18.55pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 18.55pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.65pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">IFAW<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 18.55pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.95pt;" valign="top" width="407"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">80,000<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 17.4pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 17.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.65pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">WILD AID<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 17.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.95pt;" valign="top" width="407"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">26,918<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-char-indent-count: 2.0; text-indent: 24.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Chinese Non-Governmental
Organizations (NGOs)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">WEIBO(followers)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">壹基金(</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">One Foundation</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">400,000<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">红十字会(</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">RED ACROSS</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">277,000<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">嫣然天使基金</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">211,000<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-char-indent-count: 2.0; text-indent: 24.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-char-indent-count: 2.0; text-indent: 24.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Two popular Weibo accounts that
shares animal stories every day <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">回忆专用小马甲</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">8498378<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">我和宠物的日常</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="411"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">3348683<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-char-indent-count: 2.0; text-indent: 24.0pt;">
<br /></div>
The tables show notable animal conservation/environmental organizations and their Weibo followers. Compared with other Chinese non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international NGOs have much less followers. If they want to better engage the Chinese public, there is a lot of room to improve.<br />
<br />
Based on my research and personal experience managing the official Weibo account of Save The Elephants during my stay in Samburu research base, I have concluded that international NGOs’ Weibo accounts are more "official" and having less interaction with their followers than their Chinese counterparts. Save The Elephants unfortunately has a very low follower count of 1872, and I think that is because the account is not verified and it is too long to remember. <br />
<br />
Verification is necessary for an official Weibo because verification can increase the accounts’ authority and reliability. Besides, the name of the official Weibo should be clear and short. For Save The Elephants, It is better to use the name “Save The Elephants” rather than “Africa STE elephants protection organization”, which is the translation.<br />
<br />
<b>Make it cute</b><br />
<br />
In addition, I have learned what any communication professional can tell you: more people liked the cute and funny photos and stories involving elephants compared with regular official news. This is not a coincidence. <br />
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There are some very amusing Weibo accounts that share cute animals moments: “回忆专用小马甲” (Special Memory for Mr. Ma) and “我和宠物的日常”(My Daily Life with Pets). They are managed very successfully and, as the above table demonstrated, are very popular. The first account owner has two pets: <i>Duanwu </i>the cat and <i>Niuniu</i> the dog. He shares his funny moments with his pets every day. The latter account “My Daily Life with Pets” posts pet funny moments and, more importantly, the user posts great comments with the pictures. In addition, both account owners respond to user comments.<br />
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For example, there is a story posted on February 24 2015 by Mr. Ma: <i>Niuniu</i>, the dog, was playing with <i>Duanwu</i>, the cat. <i>Dianwu</i> tried to cover <i>Niuniu</i>’s eyes. Mr. Ma’s caption read “You! Stop posing! And you, close your dog eyes, stop looking at the camera, go to sleep!” A commentator retorted: “… <i>Duanwu</i> is just like an emperor.”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji316JmS4VyFr3gwk42eGGXaL5vq4O-EQJk1oG8jr0d8FL6OopQlS6OfDjXKCC8Bfr61aDhwsibb7mTsZiKqebnASSuRpToDpdySe38gs_SRQLyGQQheaskf-gvyziQDCcvh4DVy2H2vg/s1600/China+House+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji316JmS4VyFr3gwk42eGGXaL5vq4O-EQJk1oG8jr0d8FL6OopQlS6OfDjXKCC8Bfr61aDhwsibb7mTsZiKqebnASSuRpToDpdySe38gs_SRQLyGQQheaskf-gvyziQDCcvh4DVy2H2vg/s1600/China+House+3.jpg" height="289" width="640" /></a><br />
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If an official Weibo can put more interesting and cute stories or photos of elephants’ daily life, it will attract more people.<br />
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Furthermore, in China GIF’s are extremely popular and easy to share on Weibo. Resson once suggested we upload video on the official STE Weibo. However, because of the data traffic and the load time, Chinese people usually will not open videos, especially without wifi. <br />
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For example, a very popular GIF on Weibo has two giraffes are fighting with each other using their necks, which has been reposted by lots of people. According to the comments under the gif, lots of people have said that “wow, it’s my first time to see the giraffes fighting. It’s so impressive!” If the GIF had been a video, though, it would not have been nearly as popular. These sort of user considerations must be taken into account.<br />
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Weibo also needs full-time mainland Chinese people to manage the accounts on a regular basis. Weibo is not just a place to share with a passive audience: Weibo, is “user-operated media” and an important platform for the organization to attract people’s attention and raise the organization’s profile. <br />
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However, as far as I know, not only STE but other famous organizations have their Weibo accounts managed by part-time volunteers. As Weibo is an important way to raise Chinese awareness, it should be managed more carefully. Usually, the official Weibo of Chinese organizations or companies have a full-time Weibo editor even a team.<br />
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<b>Interaction is key</b><br />
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Weibo accounts should interact with other famous Weibo accounts in order to attract more followers. For example, STE can try to connect with Li Bingbing (who has over 32 million followers alone and is working with WildAid in elephant conservation), who is an elephant conservation ambassador. Beyond Li Bingbing, Wang Shi and Jack Ma are people who are very influential and care deeply about environmental issues. They founded “Alashan see”, an organization aimed at combating desertification. These wealthy individuals can set a good example in combatting ivory and their Weibo accounts can change hearts and minds. However, it is necessary to negotiate with them offline in advance to any sort of Weibo interaction.<br />
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Interaction with the audience is equally important in a strong Weibo account. Weibo allows people to have their say in the comments section, and Weibo accounts would do well to pay attention to audience feedback. Feedback is a good way to gauge Chinese reaction, and it is important to reply to the audience let them know they matter. During my management of the STE account, I tried to reply everyone’s questions, which I felt allowed the audience to learn more about elephants.<br />
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<i>Li Jiayu is a student from China Agricultural Univeristy and a social media aficionado. She is a China Africa Seed Research Fellow of China House, the first Chinese social enterprise in Africa focusing on studying and improving China-Africa engagement.</i></div>
Winslow Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08914945154359674378noreply@blogger.com1