Chinese Soft Power In Africa

The last two decades, there have been plenty of international media coverage on China's rapid growth-and increasingly whether this development is posing a threat to the Western world. Less focus has been drawn to other developing countries around the world where China has been-and still is-very much active. From hardly any literature at all, there have been an explosion of publications on this topic only the last five years-especially about Africa. Meanwhile, the notion of'soft power'has gained popularity in the discourse of world politics. Soft power-the ability to attract others-has become especially important to China who has been struggling with a rather negative international reputation. In Africa, on the other hand, China is viewed quite positively-however some are suggesting that the Sino-African relations are 'showing signs of fissure'. These two recent fields are here connected by exploring the views of Chinese soft power from the perspectives of seven African students in China. These interviews have not only revealed an unique understanding of China's role on the continent, but also the potential and challenges of the future of Sino-African relations and China's brand image.