Dissertations and Theses
Date of Award
2016
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Jeffrey Kucik
Second Advisor
Nicholas Smith
Keywords
FDI, China, Diplomacy
Abstract
China is emerging as the premier economic partner to the Global South. Through the ability to loan large amounts of hard currency, supply inexpensive industrial and consumer products, and diversify their economic interests, China plays a key role in the new global marketplace. The Chinese system of investment diversification forms the foundation of their commercial diplomacy. One advantage China enjoys is a general lack of proselytization on issues such as good-governance and environmental safety standards. This makes for more lucrative business partnerships with many states increasingly dissatisfied with the burdens of “over regulation.” As China extends its reach into commercial and strategic raw material industries, it creates more reliable supply lines for its own industrial revolution. The Chinese system of economic growth and political outreach has been developed by government ministries working in concert with private businesses partially directed by the wider foreign policy goals of the state. This paper discusses the Nigerian petroleum sector, particularly in regard to the constructive market impact of Chinese assistance and expansion. Further expansion and increasing investment by Chinese companies into strategic and commercial minerals has led to the growth of extensive partnerships in Central Africa. Nigeria is the largest most developed economic power in Africa with a vast consumer market and rich in mineral wealth. Due to these factors it makes that country a prime example of the power of long term investment. As time goes on, those raw materials and the associated industries currently being developed will represent a larger controlling share of the market. The components and mechanisms fueling our current technological revolution depend on those industries and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Africa’s resource rich landscape will be the ultimate proving ground of China’s ability to use commercial diplomacy to acquire a large share of strategic resources.
Recommended Citation
Ackerman, Jason, "The Effect of Chinese Industrial Investment Projects in Central Africa on the Perception of China’s Commercial Diplomacy in Foreign Policy" (2016). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/822