China’s Soft Power In Africa:the Case Of Uganda

Sino-African relations and soft power have in recent years been two of the most discussed topics in international relations. However, soft power is misunderstood and misapplied, while many studies on Sino-African relations are often overly broad in scope and limit their focus to recent years. This paper focuses in detail on China’s soft power in one African country-Uganda-to attempt to move beyond the cliches and stereotypes which permeate much of the discourse on China’s engagement in Africa. Using a qualitative research framework to examine a variety of historical sources, this paper aims to paint a picture of how perceptions of China among different groups of Ugandans have evolved since the two countries established diplomatic relations in1962, and how these perceptions have affected Uganda’s behaviour and actions towards China. This paper uses Alexander Vuving’s three sub-currencies of soft power to establish the mechanics of China’s soft power in Uganda, and applies these in turn to the areas of economy, politics, and culture, each of which are singled out by different scholars as being the most important sources of China’s soft power. It finds that, in keeping with the literature on China’s soft power in Africa, in Uganda China’s non-intervention policy, positive attitude in economic and political interaction, and reiteration of common values and interests have made it attractive to the elite. This is nothing new in recent years-China has steadily built up its "symbolic capital" over many decades. China’s image among ordinary people is not in such rude health, mostly due to concerns over cheap and fake goods originating in China. Although believed by many Chinese scholars and leaders to be the core of China’s soft power, China’s traditional culture does not hold much attraction for many Ugandans, but conversely China’s revolutionary history has helped in attracting Uganda’s current leadership, particularly President Museveni. Positive images of China in Uganda have led to it taking actions in line with China’s interests by supporting China on the international stage, and also through beneficial economic deals, but protests against China by traders threaten to impact upon China’s good reputation. This paper shows that in Uganda-and perhaps throughout Africa-China must improve its image among ordinary people and continue to cement its positive relationships with leaders by treating them with respect and as equals. It further demonstrates the importance of moving beyond broad studies to get the heart of Sino-African relations, with focusing on specific countries or areas especially vital.