In this episode of China Field Notes, Scott Kennedy talks with Communications Professor Maria Repnikova of Georgia State University. She explains how China seeks to build influence in Africa through tangible enticements, ideational power, and defensive image-making. Although she points to a variety of areas of success, Repnikova also highlights the ways in which China is encountering obstacles to expanding its influence. She concludes that China is not effectively “exporting” its model of governance to countries in the Global South. The discussion also covers her experiences of carrying out fieldwork in the two countries, where she found both important similarities and differences.
