Sino-African Sport Diplomacy? “New” Wave of Chinese Stadiums in African Cities

Abstract

As Sino-African relations emerge among the most important bilateral relationships at the critical juncture of the global geopolitical order, China’s imprints in the African socio-cultural spheres and everyday life are becoming more self-evident in many African cities. The imprints range from the proliferation of “made in China mobile phones” to constructed railways, road networks and sport facilities. Against this backdrop of China’s growing presence in African cities, this chapter examines China’s “benevolent act” of stadium diplomacy in Africa. The chapter provides a critical appraisal of China’s strategic deployment of stadium diplomacy in Africa by examining the pattern and trends of Chinese-funded stadium construction on the continent since 2001. Based on insights and evidence from news archives and other sources, it argues that stadium diplomacy is a strategic diplomatic tool in China’s foreign policy agenda in Africa.