The Political Economy of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in East Africa

Contents
Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction
2 State of the Art—The Rise of China and the BRI
2.1 Facets of the Debate About the Rise and Role of China
2.2 Investigations on the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative
2.3 (East) Africa as Part of the BRI
3 Theory and Analytical Perspective
3.1 The Neo-Gramscianism as a Critical Theory Perspective
3.2 The Concept of Hegemony in International Relations
3.3 The (Neo-)Gramscian Understanding of Hegemony
3.3.1 Hegemony With Gramsci
3.3.2 State-Civil Society-Complex, Historical Block and Political Project—The Neo-Gramscian Concept of Hegemony on a Global Level
3.3.3 The Hegemonic Elements of a Historical Structure
3.3.4 Passive Revolution and Counter-Hegemony
3.4 Operationalization
3.4.1 State-Civil Society Complex Steered by CPC
3.4.2 Central Elements of the Sino-Capitalist Development Model
3.4.3 From the Going-out-Policy to BRI—Political Projects of the Emerging Hegemon
3.5 Reconstruction of BRI Infrastructure Projects in East Africa Against the Background of Material, Ideational and Institutional Entanglement
3.5.1 Investigation of the Structural Interlocking as well as the Ideological and Institutional Foundations of the Political Project
3.5.2 Analysis of Three BRI Infrastructure Projects in East Africa
3.5.3 Content Analysis of Newspaper Articles
3.5.4 The Guideline Interview
3.6 Reflection of the Operationalization and the Methodological Approach
4 China’s State-Civil Society Complex in the Structures of Global Order and Economy
4.1 US Hegemony and Dollar Wall Street Regime
4.2 China’s Selective Appropriation of Hegemonic Elements
4.3 China’s Proactivity in International Affairs Since 2013
4.4 The BRI as a Political Project of the Chinese State-Civil Society Complex
4.5 China’s State-Civil Society Complex and the BRI
4.5.1 The CPC’s Central Leadership at the Top of the State-Civil Society Complex
4.5.2 Coordination of BRI Implementation by the Party-State Apparatus
4.5.3 State-Owned Enterprises and State-Owned Banks at the Center of BRI Implementation
5 The Material, Ideational and Institutional Externalization of Sino-capitalism in East Africa
5.1 The Development of Sino-African Relations
5.2 Externalization of Sino-Capitalism within the Framework of FOCAC
5.2.1 The Externalization of Sino-Capitalism in the Context of the FOCAC Summits 2000–2012
5.2.2 The Influence of the Belt and Road Initiative on the FOCAC Summits since 2015
5.3 East African States in the BRI
5.4 Economic Interdependence between China and East Africa
5.4.1 China’s Investments in East Africa
5.4.2 Chinese Credits for East African Countries
5.4.3 Sino-East African Trade Relations
5.5 Security Policy Flanking of the BRI
5.6 The Externalization of Sino-Capitalism in the Everyday Experience of the East African Population
5.6.1 Intensification of Inter-Societal Contacts within the Framework of FOCAC
5.6.2 Cultural and Media Flanking of the BRI
5.6.3 The Everyday Experience of Chinese Engagement through the Afrobarometer
6 The BRI as a Political Project in East Africa
6.1 The Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway
6.1.1 The Modernization of Railway Infrastructure as the Core of the Growth and Transformation Plan
6.1.2 The Involvement of Chinese Actors in the Construction of the Railway Line
6.1.3 Rapid Construction Progress and Emergency Operation
6.1.4 The BRI as an Extension of Foreign Policy Options
6.1.5 Follow-up Orders for Chinese Companies
6.1.6 Commissioning of the Railway Line
6.1.7 The Sino-Capitalist Development Model as a Point of Reference for the Ethiopian Development Agenda
6.1.8 End of the Test Phase and Official Opening
6.1.9 Increasing Debt Burden and Change of Repayment Conditions
6.1.10 Interim Conclusion and Theoretical Reference
6.2 The Mombasa–Malaba Railway Line
6.2.1 China’s Contribution to Kenya’s Development Vision 2030
6.2.2 Criticism of the Opaque Award of the First Section of the Line to the CRBC
6.2.3 Contract Clauses on Mandatory Local Content
6.2.4 Irregularities in Compensation Payments
6.2.5 Ecological Consequences of the Railway Line
6.2.6 Kenya as Part of the Maritime Silk Road
6.2.7 Technology Transfer and Accompanying Measures of the SGR
6.2.8 Extension of the Railway Line from Nairobi to Naivasha
6.2.9 Regional Implications
6.2.10 Racism Allegations and Poor Working Standards
6.2.11 Opening of the Mombasa–Nairobi Section
6.2.12 Operation of the Madaraka Express by the CRBC
6.2.13 SGR as a Gamechanger in the Kenyan Transport Business
6.2.14 Controversies About the Extension from Naivasha to Kisumu and Malaba
6.2.15 Growing Debt Burden and Discussion About the Role of the Port of Mombasa
6.2.16 Interim Conclusion and Theoretical Reference
6.3 The Port and Special Economic Zone of Bagamoyo
6.3.1 The Modernization of the Port as Part of the Development Vision 2025
6.3.2 Specification of the Construction Plans
6.3.3 Bagamoyo as the Shenzhen of Tanzania
6.3.4 Official Groundbreaking at the End of Kikwete’s Term
6.3.5 Flanking the Construction Project
6.3.6 Stagnation of Construction Work
6.3.7 Uncertainty About the Progress of the Construction Project
6.3.8 Preliminary Failure of the BRI Project
6.3.9 Interim Conclusion and Theoretical Reference
7 Key Findings of the Work
7.1 The Material Externalization of Sino-Capitalism
7.2 The Ideational and Institutional Externalization of Sino-Capitalism
7.3 The BRI as a Political Project based on the Example of East African Infrastructure Projects
7.4 Societal Reactions to the Externalization of Sino-Capitalism
8 Conclusion and Discussion of Results
8.1 On the Way to a Hegemony of China?
8.2 Reflection of the Theoretical-Methodological Approach and the Results
8.3 Outlook and Approaches for the Cross-Regional Investigation of the BRI
References