‘You Get What You Pay For’: Amb. David Shinn on China – Africa Engagement

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China - Africa, China Africa Trade, Chinese in South Africa, Confucius Institutes, David Shinn, Power Africa, US - China Peoples Friendship Association, Xinhua, YALI

Shinn at Left

Today, I heard Ambassador (Burkina Faso & Ethiopia) David Shinn speak on ‘China’s Engagement with Africa.’  The event was held at the African-American Civil War Museum in the U Street Corridor under the sponsorship of the DC chapter of the US – China Peoples Friendship Association.  I’ve been to a few local events on China – Africa Relations (such this one on opinions and this one on Chinese engagement in South Africa) and I’ve interviewed the local Sino – African doyen (who was in attendance today with a very scruffy beard), but my knowledge of China’s Africa engagement is not very deep.

Inaugural Sino – Africa DC Lecture: The Threads of Chinese Engagement in South Africa

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AGOA, China in Africa, Chinese during Apartheid, Chinese in South Africa, Fong Kong, Sino - Africa DC, Taiwanese in South Africa, Winslow Robertson, Yoon Jung Park

I’ll confess, I wasn’t originally too excited about a lecture on ‘The Chinese, the Taiwanese, “Fong Kong,” and Labor in South Africa’ and a harsh day at work and a rainstorm didn’t help either.  However, I’m quite glad that I attended (alas, I had to leave before Q&A) the inaugural lecture of Sino – Africa DC, which is led by the indefatigable Winslow Robertson (I was quite taken back to see him fiddling with his phone throughout the talk – I only belatedly realized that he was live tweeting the event, I’m officially passé).