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A party with China: political party affiliation and perceptions of China in African countries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 January 2025

Haruka Nagao ,
William Hatungimana Open the ORCID record for William Hatungimana [Opens in a new window] ,
Rigao Liu  and
John James Kennedy
Haruka Nagao
Affiliation:
Department of Global Studies, University of Oregon, 114 Friendly Hall, 1161 E. 13th Ave, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
William Hatungimana*
Affiliation:
Department of Global Studies, University of Oregon, 114 Friendly Hall, 1161 E. 13th Ave, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
Rigao Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, University of Kansas, 504 Blake Hall, 1541 Lilac Lane, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA
John James Kennedy
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, University of Kansas, 504 Blake Hall, 1541 Lilac Lane, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA
*
Corresponding author: William Hatungimana; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Most of the attention on Africa-China relations has centred on China's economic activities. What remains unclear is the role of partisanship in shaping public perceptions of China in African countries. Since the Chinese government builds a favourable relationship with an incumbent party, incumbent party supporters tend to have positive views towards China whereas opposition party supporters perceive China more critically. This study conducts multilevel mixed-effects regression analyses of public opinion across 33 African countries, and finds that opposition party supporters are indeed more critical of China. While opposition parties are motivated by their office-seeking interests, they also hold an incumbent party accountable. This study sheds light on the agency of political parties and their supporters in African countries and the mode (instead of volume) of China's bilateral engagement.

Keywords

AfricaChinapublic opinionpolitical partyparty affiliation
Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Modern African Studies , Volume 62 , Issue 2 , June 2024 , pp. 175 - 199
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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