Thursday, July 5, 2012

China's Special Economic Zones in Africa

The July 2012 issue of International Affairs contains an article titled "Economic Statecraft in China's New Overseas Special Economic Zones: Soft Power, Business or Resource Security?" by Deborah Brautigam and Tang Xiaoyang. It looks at special economic zones (SEZs) globally, including those in Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Nigeria and Zambia.

The authors conclude that China's SEZs are strategic, but not as a means to boost China's resource security. The SEZs in Africa are intended, the authors argue, to share the lessons of China's own developmental success and boost China's soft power. Beijing's use of economic statecraft reflects the internationalization of the developmental state, a process already well advanced among East Asian nations.

Click here to read the article.