Whose Building? Tracing the Politics of the Chinese Government-Funded Parliament Building in Lesotho

Abstract

When the government of China offered to fund the construction of Lesotho’s parliament building, the building plans developed by Lesotho government bureaucrats were set aside. Instead, Chinese firms designed and built the new parliament building. These firms continue to be responsible for the maintenance of the building. In this article, I explore the rationale and impact of this approach through tracing the story of how this building project was carried out and discussing the extent to which the finished product met the needs and interests of the parliament of Lesotho. I argue that China used the parliament building project to generate a sustained presence in Lesotho’s political and diplomatic orbits. This article contributes to literature on China–Africa through problematising the notion of African agency in the relationship. In particular, the case study builds on Rich and Recker’s analysis of the China–Africa relationship, revealing the complex and nuanced ways in which African agency plays out or is undermined.