China–Zambia political and economic relations in historical context

• Main Author: Makhura B. Rapanyane
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AOSIS 2020-09-01
• Series: Africa’s Public Service Delivery & Performance Review
• Subjects: china; zambia; economic environment; political environment; foreign policy.
• Online Access: https://apsdpr.org/index.php/apsdpr/article/view/350

Background: The Scholarship of China–Zambia relations is gaining immense attention due to the emerging mainstream media reports that Zambia is set to loose its State Owned Power Company (ZESCO), National Broadcasting Corporation and Kenneth Kaunda International Airport to China. Aim: To determine the influence of Zambia’s political and economic environment in China’s engagement with the African country. Setting: Based on historical sensibility, this research article uses Zambia’s political and economic fertile grounds to revisit what drives the Chinese engagement in Zambia within a historical context. Methods: This research article employed qualitative research approach in the form of primary and secondary data collection. Complemented by a combination of Afrocentric research methodologies (reinforcer of qualitative method) and thematic content analytic tools. Results: It has been established that China has managed to gain nefarious fangs into most of the Zambian mineral resources due to the African country’s strong political environment and fertile economic conditions. Conclusion: China’s Africa engagement is driven by the local conditions which allows it to do business without any worry, or fear or instability. Thus, Zambia can be seen as one of the best test case points, through an Afrocentric point of view.