New Research Challenges Perceptions of Chinese Labor Practices in Africa

The School for Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London has released the results of its research in Ethiopia and Angola on Chinese labor practices. On 21 June 2019 it published a short summary titled "Chinese Firms and Employment Dynamics in Africa: Research Findings." On 3 July 2019, SOAS added a press release titled "SOAS Research Challenges Perceptions of Chinese Firms' Labour Practices in Africa."

The new findings challenge commonly held perceptions of labor practices in Africa by Chinese manufacturing and construction firms. In terms of job creation, SOAS found that the proportion of Ethiopian and Angolan workers in the labor force is substantially higher than usually assumed in media accounts. Wages in sampled Chinese firms were broadly similar to other top firms in the same sectors, once other worker and company characteristics were taken into account.

For the working papers see:

--Chinese FDI in Angola and Ethiopia: Between Flying Geese and Resource Colonialism? by Christina Wolf and Sam-Kee Cheng.

--Chinese Overseas Contracted Projects and Economic Diversification in Angola and Ethiopia 2000-2017 by Christina Wolf and Sam-Kee Cheng.

--Labour Regimes and Workplace Encounters between China and Africa by Carlos Oya.

Can Bashir Survive Continuing Protests?

World Politics Review published on 15 January 2019 a commentary titled "Can Bashir, a Brutal Survivor, ride Out the Growing Wave of Protests in Sudan?" by Richard Downie, Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The author concludes that street protests alone are unlikely to topple the regime of Omar al-Bashir. But if the protests continue, military figures close to Bashir might conclude he has become a liability and act to remove him before it becomes too late to save themselves.

Kenyan Human Rights Expert Critiques Freedom of Assembly in America

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Kenyan Maina Kiai, released on 27 July 2016 his report on this subject following an official mission to the United States from 11 to 27 July.

While many Americans will resent a report that is often critical of the situation in the United States by an outsider, it is important to remember that the United States government routinely critiques the human rights situation in every country in the world, except the United States, in the annual State Department Human Rights Report and numerous country specific statements. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the views of Maina Kiai, it is useful to consider how others see us.