‘Comrade or coloniser’: Competing discourses on Sino-Zimbabwe relations in the local press

Abstract

Deploying Michel Foucault’s discourse theory, this article qualitativey explores Sino-Zimbabwe engagements in four Zimbabwe newspapers to shed insights into how these relations are interpreted in a context. How the newspapers discursively constructed Sino-Zimbabwe engagements, the rationale for such constructions, as well as the perceptions of journalists on these engagements are questions at the core of this exploration. The article revealed competing discourses between the state-owned and the privately owned newspapers in relation to China–Zimbabwe engagements. Among the journalists, the study found mixed views, ranging from optimism, scepticism, and pragmatism. Given the polarised media discourses on China–Zimbabwe engagements, and the centrality of the press in shaping public opinion, perceptions and attitudes, Zimbabwean government may face an uphill task in trying to convince their citizens that their relationship is mutually beneficial, while China may face a similar predicament in trying to reduce stereotypes in Africa.