The China-Africa discourse today is richer and far more nuanced than it was in 2010 when Cobus and I launched CAP. But there’s still a long way to go, as shown by the stubborn simplistic narratives that keep framing the relationship in terms of debt traps and neo-colonialism.
But the shortcomings in the English-language conversation pale in comparison to the francophone discourse.
Actually, I’m overstating it… There really isn’t an ongoing conversation in French-speaking countries about Chinese engagement in Africa. When it occasionally pop up in the media (usually every three years around FOCAC), those same simplistic narratives emerge, often accompanied by a dash of racism in the European press.
Beginning today, we’re going to change that.
We are proud to announce the launch of CAP’s new francophone service Le Projet Afrique Chine (PAC) which will be led by editor Christian Geraud Neema from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Just as with our English service, PAC will feature non-partisan daily coverage of all facets of China’s engagement in Africa and the broader Global South. Geraud will do original reporting and adapt some of CAP’s English-language content for his francophone readers. He’ll post daily updates on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to engage younger audiences. Plus, there’ll be a weekly podcast and a new subscription newsletter service, much like this one.
The same editorial standards will apply to both our English and French-language services. But we will tweak the formula a little bit. You will have noticed that our French name switched from the China Africa Project to the Africa China Project. We wanted to emphasize that African voices will be at the center of this conversation.
Geraud has some amazing guests lined up for his new podcast and will include their insights in new live weekly Twitter Spaces discussions that will begin later this week on @AfrikChine.
If you’re a French speaker, we hope that you’ll join Geraud in this new discussion. If you have any questions or would like to contact Geraud, you can reach him via email or on social media.
