In many countries in Africa, Asia, and throughout the Global South there’s often a large discrepancy between perceptions of China in civil society and among governing elites. This phenomenon has been on full display recently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where public anger surged in response to numerous videos circulating on social media that show the maltreatment of local mine workers by Chinese managers and reveal evidence of environmental violations by Chinese mining companies. Meantime, the President and Prime Minister studiously avoid these controversies as they work to attract more Chinese investment to the DRC.
But does civil society hostility towards China have any measurable impact on a country’s policies towards Beijing? Charles Dunst, an associate in the global macro practice at the Eurasia Group, argues that it might and leaders in Global South countries should be concerned. Charles joins Eric & Cobus from Washington to discuss his new article in World Politics Review on the subject.
