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CHINA’S COOPERATION IN AFRICA IN THE AREA OF PHYSICAL CONNECTIVITY INFRASTRUCTURE. THE CASE OF THE MOMBASA-NAIROBI RAILWAY LINE

maria.dussort@fcpolit.unr.edu.ar

PhD in International Relations at the National University of Rosario (UNR). Postdoctoral Fellow of the National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET, Argentina). Professor at the Faculty of Political Science and International Relations of the UNR and Coordinator of the Study Group on India and Southeast Asia of Rosario (GEIRSA). Researcher of the Studies Program on South-South Relations and Cooperation (PRECSUR) of the UNR. Research line: Energy security - emerging powers, Brazil, India and China - oil producing countries of sub-Saharan Africa.

agustina.marchetti@fcpolit.unr.edu.ar

PhD in International Relations from the National University of Rosario (UNR). Doctoral Fellow of the National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET, Argentina). Professor at the Faculty of Political Science and International Relations of the UNR and Coordinator of the Study Group on Latin America and Africa (PEALA). Researcher of the Studies Program on South-South Relations and Cooperation (PRECSUR) of the UNR. Research line: China - Africa - South-South cooperation.

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Resumo

In the 21st century, China proposes a cooperation scheme with its own characteristics. In relation to the cooperation projects that China has been carrying out in the African continent, an exponential growth of infrastructure works was observed that has contributed to the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of Africa. In this context, it is worth asking, what distinctive characteristics does Chinese cooperation in infrastructure have that makes it so attractive to African countries? For the purpose of answering this question, we propose to analyse the link that Beijing has established with the African countries, specifying the characteristics its cooperation scheme presents. Likewise, the priority areas around which cooperation projects are directed and their financing modality are investigated. Secondly, we consider the construction of one of the sections of the railway in Kenya (Mombasa-Nairobi project) under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a typical case of China’s infrastructure cooperation in an African country.

En el siglo XXI, China plantea un esquema de cooperación con características propias. En relación a los proyectos de cooperación que China viene ejecutando en el continente africano, se observó un crecimiento exponencial de obras de infraestructura que han contribuido a la mejora de las condiciones socio-económicas de África. En este contexto cabe preguntarse, ¿qué características distintivas posee la cooperación china en materia de infraestructura que la hace tan atractiva para los países africanos? A los efectos de responder dicho interrogante, nos proponemos analizar el vínculo que Beijing ha establecido con los países africanos, particularizando en las características que presenta su esquema de cooperación. Asimismo, se indagan las áreas prioritarias en torno a las cuales se dirigen los proyectos de cooperación y la modalidad de financiamiento de los mismos. En un segundo momento, consideramos la construcción de uno de los tramos de la vía férrea en Kenia (proyecto Mombasa-Nairobi) en el marco de la Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) como un caso típico de cooperación en infraestructura de China en un país africano.

Palavras-chave

BRIChinacooperationInfrastructureKenya

BRIChinacooperación - infraestructuraKenia

Como citar este artigo

Dussort, María Noel; Marchetti, Agustina (2019). “China’s cooperation in Africa in the area of physical connectivity infrastructure. The case of the Mombasa-Nairobi railway line”. JANUS.NET e-journal of International Relations, Vol. 10, N.º 2, November 2019-April 2020. Consulted [online] on the date of the last visit, https://doi.org/10.26619/1647-7251.10.2.7

Article received on 4 April, 2019 and accepted for publication on 20 September, 2019