20/10/2022 - China’s strategy and influence around the world: Africa, EU, USA

WHEN: 20 October 2022
WHERE: Metropolitan University Prague, Dubečská 10, Praha (room: 205)

PANEL: Sino-African relations (13:00-14:30)
Moderator: Tereza Němečková (Metropolitan University Prague)

• Kick-off presentation of opinion survey of African attitudes towards China: Richard Turscányi (Palacký University Olomouc)
• Main presentation – China’s strategy towards Africa and implications for Europe and the US: Joshua Eisenman (Keough School of Global Affairs, the University of Notre Dame)
• Discussant: Ricardo Reboredo (Metropolitan University Prague)
• Q&A

No registration required.

ROUNDTABLE: Strategic interactions between China, EU and USA (14:45-15:45)
Open discussion of the participants about recent developments in the strategic triangle of China, EU and USA.
Moderator: Aleš Karmazin (Metropolitan University Prague)

Upon prior invitation.

SPEAKERS:

Joshua Eisenman is associate professor of politics in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. He also is a fellow of the Keough School’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, Kellogg Institute for International Studies, and Pulte Institute for Global Development.

What are China's strategic objectives towards the Global South in general, and Africa in particular, how does Beijing pursue them, and what does it all mean for Europe and the US? To answer these and related questions, Professor Joshua Eisenman from the University of Notre Dame (US) will begin by introducing China’s historical and current relationship with Africa, based on his chapter in the upcoming book “Superpower?” edited by Kristina Kironska and Richard Turcsanyi (Routledge). He will also share the research and findings on China’s political party and propaganda outreach to Africa from his forthcoming book with Ambassador David H. Shinn on China’s political and security relations with Africa (Columbia University Press). Professor Eisenman's work reveals how Beijing builds relationships with African political and social elites in order to improve their perceptions of China, advance its interests on the continent, and foster and spread distinctly anti-Western (i.e., anti-European and anti-American) narratives. Chinese leaders depict their country as the leader of a group of developing nations striving to resist Western “hegemony” using its “relational” and “discourse” power.

Richard Turcsányi is Key Researcher at Palacký University Olomouc and Program Director at Central European Institute of Asian Studies.

Tereza Němečková is Associate Professor at Metropolitan University Prague and Head of its African Studies Centre.

Ricardo Reboredo is Assistant Professor at Metropolitan University Prague (Department of International Relations and European Studies).

Aleš Karmazin is Assistant Professor at Metropolitan University Prague (Department of Asian Studies) and Editor-in-Chief of the Central European Journal of International and Security Studies.

For more information, please contact Dr. Aleš Karmazin <ales.karmazin@mup.cz>.