This is my Sciences Po master graduating research conducted in 2011-2012 and published as « N°06/12 NOVEMBRER 2012 » by Iddri, a Paris and Bruxelles-based think tank. You can read below the half-page executive summary at the end of which, you will find the 30 pages PDF.
Executive Summary
CHINESE INFLUENCE ON URBAN AFRICA EVOLVES TOWARDS INTEGRATED
LOCAL DEVELOPMENT
Based on economic complementarities acknowledged by both parties,
and in line with its “Going Out” strategy, China’s influence on African
urbanisation has evolved since 1990 from mainly infrastructure projects
to projects that increasingly involve integrated local development. Such
a shift can be attested by the establishment of six official Chinese Special
Economic Zones in Africa, based upon a three-pillar structure: Chinese
state-owned enterprises, local governments, and the China-Africa Development Fund. China’s influence on urbanisation in Africa not only builds
on exporting surplus and production capacity, but also on development
thinking and local development models.
CHINESE URBANISATION IS MOVING TOWARDS AN “URBAN MANAGEMENT” MODEL
According to the 12th Five-Year Plan, sustainable urbanisation is the central driver of Chinese economic development. Beijing is exploring a new urbanisation model, coined as “urban management”: the China Development Bank Capital is its main operator, connecting global providers and solutions with local governments and infrastructures. Within this framework, over 30 Chinese Special Urbanisation Zones projects have been implemented in China. This evolution at the national level in its turn influences Chinese urban export strategies.
CHINA AS AFRICA’S FUTURE URBAN MANAGEMENT OPERATOR?
Strong similarities can be found between China’s national urbanisation process and its development in some parts of Africa, in terms of publicprivate partnerships, policy regimes, and development goals. As this connection has been firmly cemented, any major development in the Chinese model of urban development will probably be influential in terms of its export to urban Africa, paving the way for the development of Chinese Special Urbanisation Zones in Africa (CSUZA).
Citation: X. Liu, B. Lefèvre (2012), Chinese influence on urban Africa, Studies N°06/12, IDDRI,
Paris, France, 30 p.
https://www.iddri.org/fr/publications-et-evenements/etude/chinese-influence-urban-africa