Opinion | Why China needs more than better communication to fix its Africa image problem
- China is popular in Africa, but issues of corruption, racism, insufficient job creation, lack of skills and technology transfer still dog its efforts
- Addressing ordinary people’s well-being is essential if Beijing is to craft a lasting relationship that better reflects Africans’ needs
The image of China has taken a battering in the world of late. President Xi Jinping has openly acknowledged that China’s image has been damaged. In June, he said there was a need for better communication to present an image of a “reliable, lovable and respectable China”.
There is no doubt that building the Chinese brand requires a good communication strategy. However, from an African perspective, an action-oriented strategy will be more effective in improving China’s image.
The survey concluded that while about six in 10 Africans saw China’s influence on their country as positive, this perception had declined slightly, from 63 per cent to 60 per cent across 16 of the 18 countries surveyed in comparison to a 2014-15 survey.
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