A recent report by Pew Research Center presents an interesting finding: America's global image remains more positive than China's, but many foresee China's ascendance. Increased levels of Chinese development finance, and double-digit GDP growth rates correspond with this view. Various cultural exchange initiatives have improved China's global image, most notably the Confucius Institute (CI) program seen as emblematic of China's "soft power" engagement with economic and political allies worldwide. As the opening of a CI in an African country appeared to respond to an influx of Chinese development activities in the area, we wondered whether and how the two phenomena are related. Why do some African countries receive CIs and not others?
The process of choosing CI locations is opaque, much like Chinese foreign assistance more broadly. According to Professor Ma Lei, Deputy Director of the CI at the College of William & Mary, prospective host institutions contact Hanban (the Chinese National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language) seeking to partner with a Chinese university. This implies that the opening of new CIs is driven by local demand, which is consistent with claims that China's development presence in Africa comes at the request of local actors.
Nigeria might be one such case study. Recently, we spoke with Zhao Yang, a volunteer teacher at the CI of University of Lagos. Having lived in Lagos for the past eighteen months, Yang confirmed Nigerian students' enthusiasm for learning Mandarin and the presence of a growing number of well-paying Chinese companies operating in Nigeria. The students' overall level of interest has remained high, despite the relative complexity of Mandarin compared with other languages. Increasing numbers of Chinese immigrants to Nigeria has also fueled local interest in learning about Chinese culture and language, according to Yang who also teaches a popular Wushu (Chinese martial arts) class.
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