HKU Bulletin October 2012 (Vol. 14 No.1)

Books City’ in reference to the many black Africans living there. There are several factors that particularly interest him about this community. Initially, it was a simple question of what prompts voluntary migration, the answer to which, his research shows – “inevitably, it’s the pursuit of a beautiful dream – to better yourself.” Second, it was how these communities form: “While they are concentrated in certain provinces, such as Guangdong where trade is strong, African don’t tend to form the equivalent of Chinatowns. There are Africatowns in terms of trade not living. It’s a transient situation for most – totally based on trade – but some stay. It’s also transient because of China’s draconian visa laws. The Chinese authorities are not used to it being an in-migration country, only an out- migration country.” Another development the book covers is the common language, or contact language, that is evolving between Africans and Chinese in the markets of Guangzhou. “Neither speaks the other’s language, but you will see them bargaining in markets,” says Dr Bodomo. “It’s simple stuff – I call it Calculator Communication. HKU boasts an international community, but when it comes to African students we have only a handful – around 20. Africans in Hong Kong are also a relatively rare sight, which is perhaps why Dr Adams Bodomo’s book Africans in China has been greeted with some surprise – it’s a phenomenon about which most are simply unaware. “That’s because it is a relatively new phenomenon,” says Dr Bodomo, Associate Professor of Linguistics and African Studies in the School of Humanities. “While there has been a small African presence in China for a long time, it is only since the turn of the millennium – when China intensified government-to-government relations with Africa – that significant numbers of Africans The stallholder names a price for an item, the African says no. Out comes the calculator – and after much gesticulation somehow a price is agreed. I’m encouraging one of my students to pursue this in her thesis research.” And finally, “I love the cross-cultural aspect of it all, what is being formed. It’s part of our globalisation, a cross-cultural co-production – in terms of trade, mixed music, mixed language, fusion food, mixed genres of literature and art. It’s been 15 years since this migration began, so some have married in China, they have mixed race children. As soon as that happens the presence becomes more permanent.” Students welcome The new African presence also goes beyond trade, since at Beijing’s invitation there about 6,000 African students a year studying in Mainland China. “China is actively seeking to attract African students, offering them scholarships etc – they are building ‘soft power’. I applaud that they’re giving young Africans the chance to study in China and to learn Mandarin. But, of course, it’s not just philanthropic, they’re building links. Some students will go back to Africa, others will work in China, or they may work for Chinese companies in Africa – one way or another they will be ambassadors for Africa and China.” Where there is large-scale migration, there is almost inevitably racial tension, and Dr Bodomo’s largely optimistic theories have sparked controversy. After he was published in China Quarterly there was a big response from people citing the many clashes between Chinese and Africans and indeed between Africans and Africans [from different countries within the continent] in China. have been living in there and forming diasporan communities. It started back in the 1990s, when China’s economy began to take off and the country needed oil. The Gulf was controversial, so they looked to Africa instead and started making connections.” As those connections were forged, the flow started going the other way – Africans to China. There were already a lot of Africans, mainly traders, in Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand, but it wasn’t until the 1997 Asian financial crisis hit and currencies collapsed that they began to move in significant numbers to China and Hong Kong, which had not been so badly affected. China’s admission to WTO in 2001 also increased the trend. Clashes and bridges “Yes, there are still culture clashes and some conflict – we still misunderstand one another,” acknowledges Dr Bodomo. “But it is during clashes that leaders emerge from both sides, people who want to solve the problems. In this way, more bridges are built. I believe that we need to look beyond occasional clashes – and consider what role this migrant community is playing as a bridge between Chinese and African cultures.” The book is a pioneering effort in the area of Africa-China relations, which is now becoming a hot research topic. Dr Bodomo’s next area of interest is the opposite flow – Chinese in Africa of whom there are two million compared with half a million Africans in China. He is currently applying for research funds to go to Ghana, Kenya and Angola for a while to study how Chinese are doing there. Dr Adams Bodomo has been in Hong Kong since 1997 after stints at the University of Ghana, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and Stanford University. M “These factors all led to the beginnings of new communities – diasporan communities,” says Dr Bodomo. “They are also very transient communities. Currently, hardly any African comes to China to seek employment, the vast majority come to buy goods and go back. But some stay and start businesses.” ‘Chocolate City’ Africans are found in most major Chinese cities now, including Hong Kong, Macau, Yiwu, Shanghai, and of course Beijing, but by far the largest concentration is in Guangzhou, home to many of the factories that produce the kinds of goods they want for the African market. Indeed, a part of the city has been nicknamed ‘Chocolate § £ ¤ º ¡ £ ¡ ¡ ¢ £ ¨ ¥ ¤ » ¨ ¥ ¢ ¤ ¼ ¤ ² ¨ § ¤ ¤ ¥ ¤ ¢ ¤ ® ¥ ¨ § ½ ¥ ² ¢ £ ¤ ¥ ¢ ¾ ¢ ¦ ¿ ¨ ¡ À » ¨ ¥ ¢ ¹ Out of Africa into China Africa-China relations have taken on new import since the turn of the century, with new migration both ways. Dr Adams Bodomo’s book looks at the diasporan African communities growing in China’s trading cities and the bridges being built between the two cultures. I love the cross-cultural aspect of it all, what is being formed. It’s part of our globalisation – in terms of trade, mixedmusic, mixed language, fusion food, mixed genres of literature and art. Á Â Ã Ä Å Â Ã 39 October 2012 The University of Hong Kong Bulletin