Is China able to export its developmental model? Upstream–downstream integration in Sino–African petroleum engagement

Abstract

This article examines the upstream–downstream integration model in the context of Sino–African petroleum engagement (in four countries in particular) as a means to evaluate China’s capacity to export its own experiences or development model to other developing countries. The discourse of so-called developmental resource nationalism provides the theoretical orientation. The article finds that China is able to share its development experiences to promote industrialisation and improve local socioeconomic conditions through concrete project building. However, the effect of such ‘exports’ is problematic and is dependent on several specific conditions. The article concludes that China is not in a position to export to other countries a fully-fledged or revolutionary developmental model, even in a narrowly defined industrial sector.