The Politics of Chinese-financed Infrastructure Development in East Africa

How African governments negotiate infrastructure deals with Chinese lenders and construction companies is far more complex than many assume. While most focus on the role of the head of state, the reality is that the leader is just one of many actors that has a say in the process.

A trio of scholars recently published an in-depth analysis that explores the internal political dynamics for three high-profile Chinese infrastructure projects in East Africa including the Bagamoyo Port in Tanzania, the Adama wind farm in Ethiopia, and the Port of Lamu expansion in Kenya.

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by Eric Olander

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