King Cobra and the Rise of Anti-Chinese Populism in Zambia

Hess, Steve; Aidoo, Richard

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-17629-1_2

Steve Hess⁴ &
Richard Aidoo⁵

Part of the book series: The Political Economy of the Asia Pacific ((PEAP,volume 19))

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Abstract

The following chapter lays out the political landscape of Zambia in the run-up to the 2011 presidential election and highlights the central importance of that institutional context creating opportunities for the rise of anti-Chinese populism in the country during the 2000s. It introduces the historical background enabling the rise of the MMD and its consolidation of single-party rule in the 1990s as well as the rise of Chinese involvement in Zambia’s economy and society during the 2000s. The chapter discusses the multifaceted nature of Chinese engagement, including not only official state-to-state relations but also the arrival of state-owned enterprises, private outside investors, and independent Chinese nationals. It then suggests that the diverse landscape of Chinese engagement presented opposition candidate, Michael Sata, with a unique opportunity to challenge the ruling MMD. In this context, Sata used the unifying target of a monolithic China to mobilize a multiregional and multiethnic opposition and overcome the advantages enjoyed by the MMD in Zambia’s uneven political playing field. In this sense, “playing the China card,” enabled Sata to beat the odds and win the presidency. It also contributed to pulling Zambian public opinion of China in decidedly negative direction—in spite of many benefits presented by Sino-Zambian economic relations.

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Notes

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University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CT, USA
Steve Hess
Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC, USA
Richard Aidoo

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Hess, S., Aidoo, R. (2015). King Cobra and the Rise of Anti-Chinese Populism in Zambia. In: Charting the Roots of Anti-Chinese Populism in Africa. The Political Economy of the Asia Pacific, vol 19. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17629-1_2

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