Technology Transfers Between China and Ethiopia

‘Does China’s BRI and Private Investment Abroad Help Industrial Development in the Third World? Tenuous Technology Transfers Between China and Ethiopia’

Speaker Dr Liang Chen

Hosted by Australian Centre on China in the World

Date and time
Thu 14th Mar 2024, 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm AEDT

Location
Seminar Room + Online, Australian Centre on China in the World
The Australian National University, Building 188, Fellows La, Acton ACT 2601, Australia

Event description
China’s quick expansion in the developing world, in particular the Sub-Sahara African countries, has spawned public debates and generated new fields of scholarship over the past couple of decades. In this talk, I will examine whether China’s Belt and Road (BRI) projects and private investment contribute to the industrial development in Africa through the lens of technology transfer. My findings are drawn from three case studies of Chinese firms in Ethiopia. Counterintuitively, my study shows that this process is not a straightforward process in which China holds the reins, as is generally assumed. African countries and people, though less economically developed, have demonstrated that they hold bargaining power vis-à-vis Chinese investments and technological transfers at the intra-firm level. Through interviews in Ethiopia with Chinese managers, technicians and workers and their Ethiopian counterparts, this research reveals that technology transfer is entangled with global and local forces, power contestations between Chinese and Africans, and managerial considerations. These transference processes are not developmentally driven nor driven by political efforts at solidarity with the Third World as in the days of Mao. Transferring technology is also a slow process that has some spillover effects on other domains such as labour relations. It is hoped that this research will supplement and add insights into other scholars’ research on technology transfer and market forces in developing countries.

Registration

https://ciw.anu.edu.au/event/does-chinas-bri-and-private-investment-abroad-help-industrial-development-third-world-tenuous

 

 

Happy International Women’s Day!

 

Today, on International Women’s Day, we celebrate the incredible achievements of women worldwide. In honour of this occasion, let’s highlight the remarkable women who contribute to the ANU African Studies Network (ASN). Here they are: 

Karo Moret-Miranda:  

Karo is a lecturer at the Australian National University School of History, focusing on African and Afro-descendant studies. Her work delves into the enduring impacts of colonialism and aims to challenge racism and xenophobia, advocating for marginalized voices to be heard and valued. Karo gave a keynote speech at the 2023 ASN Conference. Thank you, Karo! 

Audrey Kalindi:  

Audrey completed her PhD at the Australian National University, specializing in maternal and child health. With a background in demography and economics from the University of Zambia, she employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to study population health disparities, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Audrey was the committee chair of the 2023 ASN Conference, where she did an exceptional job. Happy International Women’s Day to you, Audrey! 

Miranda Zvidza:  

Miranda, a Business Development Manager at ANU and founder of “Elevate Growth Consultancy,” is dedicated to uplifting the African Community in Australia. Through coaching, speaking engagements, and consultancy, she integrates her expertise, experiences, and faith to foster personal and entrepreneurial growth. Miranda’s support of the ASN, especially in business development, is incredible. Enjoy your day, Miranda! 

Safiya Okai-Ugbaje:  

Safiya is a systems thinker and researcher with a focus on IT for development (IT4D) and educational technologies. She is particularly interested in the practical applications of AI and large language models to address challenges in emerging economies. Safiya is an active member of the ASN. 

Hilda Agyekum:  

Hilda, a PhD student at the Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU, previously worked in research and evaluation in Ghana. With a background in disability studies, she now engages with broader development issues, serving as a college representative for African studies at ANU. 

Rita Agha: 

Rita is a PhD student at the UNESCO Chair in Science Communication for Public Good at the Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University. Her research interests are in the areas of sexual and reproductive health care and the sociology of communication in Africa. Rita’s work seeks to contribute insights to these critical areas, reflecting her commitment to fostering positive societal change through scientific communication. She has been the co-convener of the ASN since 2023, and the network has grown exponentially under her leadership. Good job, Rita! 

Happy International Women’s Day!

 

Parry’s Thursday seminar on irrigation in southern African

See Susan’s biography in yesterday’s post. The Thursday talk on campus is on ‘Transforming irrigation in southern Africa’ 

Join from the meeting link
https://aciar.webex.com/aciar/j.php?MTID=mb04a4f41c0c57e31bbe3e46f68ab0097

From Susan.O’Connell @aciar.gov.au

Join by meeting number
Meeting number (access code): 2650 838 7290
Meeting password: GPqpyMPM352

Tap to join from a mobile device (attendees only)
+61-2-9338-2221,,26508387290## Australia Toll

Join by phone
+61-2-9338-2221 Australia Toll
Global call-in numbers

Join from a video system or application
Dial 26508387290@aciar.webex.com
You can also dial 210.4.202.4 and enter your meeting number.

Dr Karen Parry’s Biography

From: https://researchers.anu.edu.au/researchers/parry-k

Circular Food System project: Theme Leader for Equity & Inclusion
ANU College of Science
E: Karen.Parry@anu.edu.au

I have recently completed my PhD entitled ‘Loosening the ties that bind: institutional analysis of young people’s livelihoods on smallholder irrigation schemes in Zimbabwe’. My research was linked to an ACIAR-funded project ‘Transforming irrigation in southern Africa’ (TISA), which I particpated in as a part-time research assistant. TISA has transitioned into a new project focusing on introducing circular food systems to smallholder irrigation schemes in Tanzania, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. My role in this new project is Theme Leader for Equity & Inclusion, and actiities include coordinating gender, youth and inclusion analysis to inform project implementation and support research on changes arising from inclusive design. This postdoctoral position will allow me to also scope additional research, and I anticpate a focus on young people’s perspectives on what constitutes an attractive livelihood around smallholder irrigation schemes and their engagement in local savings and loans groups. I am fortunate that my role requires me to make research trips to southern Africa on a regular basis.

Namibian President Hage Geingob dies at age 82

Namibia is plunged into sorrow as the nation mourns the passing of President Hage Geingob at the age of 82. Having led the country since 2015, President Geingob succumbed to cancer at the Lady Pohamba Hospital in Windhoek, where he had been undergoing treatment.

In reflection of this significant loss, we extend our heartfelt condolences and hope that the departed president finds rest.

What do we know about Namibia?

Namibia’s rich political history encompasses its colonization by Germany in 1884, followed by occupation by South Africa in 1915. After World War II, South Africa annexed the territory and administered it as a mandate until 1988. The journey to independence was marked by the SWAPO guerrilla group’s war of independence, culminating in Namibia gaining its sovereignty in 1990.

SWAPO, now the ruling party, has transitioned from its Marxist roots over the years. President Hage Geingob assumed office in 2015, succeeding Hifikepunye Pohamba, who had served two terms. Geingob’s initial landslide victory in 2014 was followed by his reelection in 2019, albeit with a reduced majority. This marked a shift, as SWAPO narrowly lost its parliamentary supermajority in the same elections.

As we reflect on Namibia’s current state, the nation boasts a population of approximately 2.7 million (2023 est.), with an urbanization rate of 54.9% and a life expectancy of 63.7 years (2023 est.). The GDP stands at $12.372 billion (2019 est.), with a per capita income of $9,100 (2021 est.). According to the World Bank, Namibia is an upper-middle-income country. Namibia achieved this through its resource wealth (mostly gold and uranium), political stability, and sound macroeconomic management. A 2023 ranking by Yahoo Finance put Namibia 12th among the richest countries in Africa by GDP per capita.

Africa seen as an important future source of international students

A report by The Lygon Group, commissioned by Universities Australia, suggests that by 2050, the nations of sub-Saharan Africa will be the “new China and perhaps India” – Australia’s current top two sources for international students.

“Meanwhile, the continent of Africa is projected to change in the opposite direction with a steady growth in the percentage of working-age people,” the report reads.

“Education will be key to ensuring the continent’s trajectory is to achieve the goal of ‘getting rich before it gets old’.”

Ups and Downs: A Short History of Australian-African Diplomatic Relations

By Hon Prof Matthew Neuhaus

Early Days

Australian-African interaction certainly dates back to the earliest days of European settlement, when the First Fleet sailed from England via Cape Town in 1787.  We may yet discover earlier interactions with indigenous Australians, but there is so far little evidence of that.  One for future archaeologists, perhaps!

As part of the British Empire, people-to-people and business relations became well established.  Australian colonies sent a large contingent to the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, Australian missionaries provided education and health services in parts of Africa, and Australians were among the settlers in Eastern and Southern Africa.

However, Australian-African diplomatic relations were effectively nonexistent because, until just before the Second World War the new nation of Australia largely left the UK to manage its global diplomatic engagement.  It took till the 1930s for Australia to open missions outside London, with Washington, Tokyo, and the Chinese wartime capital of Chungking the first.

The establishment of the United Nations in 1945 and the post-war era of decolonisation coincided with Australia’s determination to pursue its own way in the world.  There was a rapid growth of the External Affairs Department and the expansion of a network of posts.  On the African continent, posts in South Africa and Egypt were first, with the sea routes to Australia via Suez and Cape Town of key strategic importance to Australia’s trade and security.

The conservative Menzies Government was not always comfortable with the new Commonwealth organisation which emerged from the British Empire or the radical policies of many of these new nations.  But it did open posts in all key Commonwealth countries as they reached independence, including in Africa.  Thus posts in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania were opened in quick succession.  But there was no engagement with Francophone Africa.

Another important aspect of the engagement with Africa was the inclusion of African nations in the Commonwealth Scholarships of the Colombo Plan.  These helped forge relations with the future leadership of these new nations.  With UDI in Rhodesia in 1964 and the deepening of apartheid in South Africa, scholarships were also extended to those fleeing this oppression.

Menzies own diplomatic efforts in engaging Africa were clumsy and unsuccessful.  He sought to engage with Nasser over the Suez Crisis and was rebuffed.  The same with Smith in Rhodesia.  He found it hard to come to terms with South Africa’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth over apartheid.  However the Australian Government was pragmatic in its engagement.

The dawn of Australian-African relations

As it is with so many other issues, the dawn of Australia’s relations with Africa really began with Gough Whitlam and his election in 1972.  While he never visited Africa as Prime Minister, some key decisions were made by his government which engaged Africa positively.  The first was to change Australia’s voting on South Africa in the UN General Assembly to bring it more in line with Africa.  The second was the banning of sporting tours from South Africa.  He established the Australia Development Assistance Agency in 1974, with an ambitious aid level of 0.47% of GDP – and Africa was included.

Perhaps surprisingly, his conservative successor Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser was even more committed to Africa.  The Oxford-educated Fraser was a keen Commonwealth man, strongly opposed to apartheid South Africa, and determined to see majority rule in Rhodesia.  Part of his approach was value driven and part was geo-political.  Like Henry Kissinger, he saw these racist policies as simply opening the way for long-term Communist influence.

He engaged well with African leaders. As a fellow conservative, he was also well placed to influence the new conservative Prime Minister of the UK Margaret Thatcher’s views on Rhodesia and push her to work with the Commonwealth.  The result, following a successful 1979 CHOGM in Lusaka, was the Lancaster House agreement, which saw Rhodesia come to independence as Zimbabwe in 1980, led by Robert Mugabe.  A new post had been opened in Lusaka, largely to engage with the ANC, and now one was opened in Harare.

Fraser hosted the 1981 CHOGM in Melbourne, and strongly supported African nations in their sanctions against South Africa, often in the face of a reluctant Thatcher.  These policies were continued under his successor the Labor leader Bob Hawke.  Hawke nominated Fraser as Co-Chair of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group on South Africa in 1985 with former President of Nigeria Obasanjo, and they worked well together in engaging the South African regime – if with limited success initially.

A time of consolidation

The period of the Hawke/Keating governments, with Gareth Evans emerging as Foreign Minister after Bill Hayden, was one of consolidation of relations with Africa.  Both Hawke and Evans were deeply committed to seeing change in South Africa, especially through the Commonwealth engagement.  Success was achieved with the release of Mandela and the emergence in 1994 of a free South Africa.

Evans was also strongly committed to multilateralism, and knew to achieve his multilateral ambitions, African support was essential.  He was assiduous in meeting with African Ministers in New York, listening to their goals and ambitions.  As one who arranged his program in New York and later oversighted his briefs, I speak from experience.  His achievements had global impact – the Cambodian Peace Process (for which we drew on the Lancaster House arrangements for Zimbabwe); the Chemical Weapons Convention; the Blue Book on Cooperating for Peace – but were good for Africa too.

During his time in the early/mid 1990s, with the end of the Cold War, the UN and Commonwealth were operating at their best.  I was with Gareth as UN and Commonwealth Director in Auckland in 1995 when General Abacha in Nigeria hung Ogoni activist Ken Saro Wiwa in defiance of President Mandela and the whole Commonwealth.  Australia was quick to support the suspension of Nigeria and establishment of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group.

Hubris and Disaster

Under Gareth Evans we had determined to run for election to the UN Security Council with the vote in late 1996.  Support was looking good, even if aid was low, some African posts had been shut (Accra, Lusaka and Addis Ababa although Port Louis was opened in the Indian Ocean) and a certain over confidence had grown in our multilateral positioning.  Then disaster struck.  We had a change of government in 1996.  The Coalition under John Howard continued with the Security Council bid, but took Africa’s votes largely for granted because of the Commonwealth link.

To be fair, the new Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, accompanied by Malcolm Fraser, our Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Butler, and myself travelled to Yaounde Cameroon in July 1996 to attend our first African Union Summit.  We were strangers in a strange land where we had no diplomatic relations and no post, and getting meetings was not easy.  For me it was a reality check but for the campaign it was too late as policies, including on the Middle East, and personalities shifted away from African interests and engagement.  We lost to Portugal and Sweden in late 1996.

Sadly but perhaps inevitably this meant the Coalition Government lost interest in the UN and in Africa.  The UN was soon important again over the issue of East Timor.  However Africa became bedevilled by the issue of Zimbabwe.  Following political turmoil and land invasions it was suspended from the Commonwealth in 2002 during Howard’s term of office as Commonwealth chair.  I had returned from Nigeria in 2001 and worked with Prime Minister Howard on the Brisbane/Coolum CHOGM in 2002 before heading to London as Political Director of the Commonwealth Secretariat so I lived the issue.

Rebuilding relations

My return from the Commonwealth Secretariat to the Australian Foreign Affairs Department in 2009 coincided with the Labor government of Kevin Rudd launching a new bid for the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 term to be voted on in 2012.  Our competitors were Finland and Luxembourg for two seats.  One thing Rudd’s Foreign Minister, Perth based Stephen Smith, got was the importance of Africa in the UN, reinforced by his attendance at the AU Summit early in 2009.  The first thing I was asked to do was to lead a small UNSC Africa Task Force to come up with a winning strategy. Initially we were told there were no new resources – but resources eventually came.

Central to the new strategy was entering into bilateral diplomatic relations with all African nations – till this point we still did not have relations with over a third of African countries including major players like the DRC.  We re-established our post in Addis Ababa, and supplemented our few posts with a network of Honorary Consuls.  High level visits grew to Africa – including by Parliamentary delegations, Ministers and even the Governor General.

We built better linkages with the Australian mining companies working across Africa, and our Ambassadors gathered every year at the Africa Down Under Mining Conference in Perth and the Mining Indaba in Cape Town to strengthen that cooperation and exchange with African Ministers.  Our modest aid was supplemented, with targeted interventions in food security, water and sanitation and mining governance, where we had comparative advantage.  Australia Awards became a centrepiece.

Led by the Canberra baed ASPI thinktank and Johannesburg based Brenthurst Foundation, an African Australian Leadership Dialogue was inaugurated with a meeting in Zambia in May 2012.  The focus of discussion was on the topic of “Fuelling the Dragon: Natural Resources and China’s Development” – a key topic for both sides.  Participants included former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Government Senator David Feeney and Shadow Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

In 2012, after a CHOGM in Perth in 2011, we secured 50 of Africa’s 54 votes.  And we were much better informed to deal with African issues on the UN Security Council.

Decline but not fall

Sadly it didn’t last.  The new Abbott Government in 2013 slashed aid resources, dismantled AusAID, and largely turned away from Africa.  Only Perth based Foreign Minister Julie Bishop remained a champion for Africa and rescued as much as she could.  Australia Awards for Africa and the Dialogue remained, the mining connection stayed strong with her personal commitment, the Advisory Group on Australia Africa Relations (AGAAR) was established, and our first francophone African post in Morocco was opened.  With Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister, there was enough fuel in the tank of the relationship to see us elected in 2017 to the UN Human Rights Council.  But the fuel was running low.

By the end of the Morrison government last year Australia Awards had almost disappeared, AGAAR had disappeared, there was a reluctant approach to engaging multilaterally and no-one was visiting Africa – even if COVID helpfully masked this.  Only the universities (with the AAUN in the lead) and the mining community and a dedicated group of Ambassadors was keeping the relationship alive.

Reinvigoration?

Helpfully for relations with Africa, shortly after the election of the Albanese Government in May, the CHOGM was held in Kigali in June and Deputy Prime Minister Marles attended.  He was impressed and on return, with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister’s support, tasked the new Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts to have a focus on Africa.

Watts has since visited Africa twice – to Morocco, Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia and Kenya.  In his press release on 4 December 2022 he highlighted the Government’s commitment to “reinvigorating our relationships with Africa”.  His commitment was also demonstrated by his attendance along with Resources Ministers King to a well-attended Africa DownUnder Conference in Perth in September this year, with the President of Botswana a special guest.

Much still remains to be done to really reinvigorate the relationship.  It is more important than ever because we have a new factor with political clout – the growing African diaspora in Australia now over 700,000 strong from across the continent – not just white South Africans as was the case a few decades ago.  Whereas once it was said there are “no votes in Africa” – other than for the Security Council – there are now a growing group of constituencies where African votes do count, and a growing number of Parliamentarians of African origin.

However to put real meaning into the commitment to reinvigorate relations with Africa, and even get us back to the Rudd/Gillard levels of engagement, the previous high water mark, we need some further concrete actions, including:

  • a strengthened Awards program, and more support to knowledge exchange and university engagement
  • an Africa Australia Advisory Council, chaired by the Assistant Minister, meeting three to four times a year, and including diaspora representatives
  • better resourcing for our posts and honorary consuls, and some new posts, with Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Kigali and Lusaka of particular relevance economically
  • more two way high level visits, including by Parliamentarians, the Foreign Minister and Prime Minister, particularly to the G20 in South Africa in 2025 and taking advantage of CHOGM in Samoa in 2024
  • better regular dialogue with African nations on global issues and a strong network of bilateral interaction as well engagement with the AU
  • a recognition that Africa is part of the Indo-Pacific and has a role to play in its future.

 

Africa and Africans are part of Australia’s future.  Africa with its growing population, developing economies and considerable share of global resources is ever more important to Australia and the world. We now need government action to match the rhetoric of reinvigoration which recognises that fact.

When that happens we can then say Australia truly deserves African support, including for election to the UN Security Council when we next face that test in 2028.   It would be a bonus if in doing so we could develop a more steady engagement with Africa, rather than one that is blown by the winds of political expediency and changes of government.

In the meantime, to use a Swahili proverb “Umoja ni Nguvu” – “Unity is Strength”.  Those of us committed to a deeper and more sustainable relationship need to work ever more closely together with that in mind.

This was a keynote address by Honorary Professor Matthew Neuhaus at last year’s ANU African Studies Network Conference, where he deliberated on Africa-Australia diplomatic relations.
 
Prof. Matthew Neuhaus has been an Honorary Professor (International Law) at the Australian National University College of Law since November 2022. He was Australian Ambassador to the Netherlands from August 2018 to October 2022 and Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague. He represented Australia at the ICJ, ICC, PCA, and other international legal bodies.

The professor has previously served as Australian Ambassador to Zimbabwe (2011–15), accredited to the DRC, Zambia, and Malawi, and High Commissioner to Nigeria (1997–2000), accredited to Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Senegal. He has also held senior positions in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Prime Minister and Cabinet, covering Africa, the Middle East, the Pacific, UN and Multilateral Engagement, and international law. He was Assistant Secretary for Africa, then First Assistant Secretary for the Middle East and Africa from 2015–18.

Prof. Neuhaus was Director of the Political Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat in London from 2002–2008. His previous postings with DFAT include Kenya (1983–1985), Papua New Guinea (1988–1989), and UN New York (1991–1994), where he represented Australia on the First and Sixth Committees and was Vice Chair of the Sixth Committee in 1993–94.

Prof. Neuhaus has a B.A. (Hons) LLB from the University of Sydney and a Master of Philosophy (International Relations) from the University of Cambridge. He attended the Harvard University Kennedy School Leaders in Development Program in June 2006 and was a Visiting Fellow at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law at Cambridge University in 2015.

 

Africa identified as a Main Source of International Students

 A report commissioned by Universities Australia  ‘identifies Africa as a major source of students by 2050.’

Angus Thompson, 2025. ‘Universities urge to capitalise on growing demand from Africa’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 22 December,page 3.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/it-won-t-be-china-india-any-more-universities-urged-to-pivot-to-new-student-market-20231221-p5eswp.html 

Read more at 

The Study Australia Education Mission to Africa
21 February – 2 March 2024
Nigeria | Ghana | Kenya
Austrade and IDP Education invite Australian higher education institutions to a Study Australia
Education Mission to Africa in early 2024. As per the latest IDP Emerging Futures IV survey
results, Australia has been ranked as one of the most popular destinations for internationalstudents. READ MORE AT:

https://www.austrade.gov.au/content/dam/austrade-assets/en/marketing/events/study-australia-education-mission-to-africa-2024-eoi.pdf

ANU ASN conference: Update

A suggested link to access the conference
https://anu.zoom.us/j/89372914667pwd=dE8reWkzRnBSaTRWNXB4Sk5XWElDQT09  

After a welcome to country by Uncle Paul House the conference made a powerful start.Acting Deputy Vice-chancellor Professor Ann Evans confirmed the ANU’s interest in Africa.
In Session 1 David Mickler demonstrated how Curtin’s engagement with Africa had grown rapidly in the last 12 months and suggested a national pathway.
Matthew Neuhaus gave a revealing  overview of the Australian Government’s wavering engagement with Africa. Karo Moret Miranda described how, in spite of the amazing feedback for African courses at the ANU in 2023, the only 2024 course was on conflict in Africa.
Session 2 on Health demonstrated the valuable and relevant African research being done and by ANU researchers, with collaborators within and beyond the ANU, and jointly with other institutions. Omoge Adeyemi added an international element by contributing virtually from Spain.