Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The emergence of the People‘s Republic of China (PRC) as an economic superpower has
become one of the most significant developments in world affairs in recent times. As the PRC
has grown in economic significance, it seeks to translate this to all areas of its relationship
with the rest of the world. Africa and African countries are a region where the PRC‘s
involvement and engagement has elicits major consternation, especially from Western
countries. However, this region, relative to its geographic and population size, natural
endowments, and engagement with other regions andWestern countries in particular, remains
insignificant in the PRC‘s external relations.
South Africa enjoys very good diplomatic relations with the PRC, disproportionate to its
significance with regard to the PRC‘s quest for resource that fuels its phenomenal economic
resurgence. South Africa and the PRC‘s relationship has, within a decade, grown in depth and
complexity that supersedes despite major asymmetries between them. South Africa is the first
developing and African country with which the PRC established a comprehensive strategic
partnership. While the concept of a ‗strategic partnership‘ remains unclear in international
relations, it conveys a relationship of significance and stature that supplements ordinary
bilateral relationships, although the latter are better defined and binding than the former.
Clearly, the Chinese government attaches great importance to its relationship with South
Africa.
The advent of democracy and a thriving pluralistic socio-economic and cultural society that is
admired despite the challenges it faces, makes South Africa an exemplar and desirable
partner. South Africa‘s international stature and role in the international system, matches the
PRC‘s objectives in this regard, making South Africa a good foil for PRC. However, this
study contends that there are reasons that are beyond the well-worn natural resource
extraction and diplomacy arguments that make South Africa attractive to the PRC. It uses
asymmetry theory of international relations to explore and elucidate this. It explores what
underpins, motivates and accounts for the rapid progression of this relationship and the
implications this may have on their relationship in the future
This thesis uses Womack‘s (2001, 2003, 2003a, 2006, 2006a, 2010) terminology and
methodology to look at how South Africa and the PRC concentrate on areas of
complementarity and cooperation and seek and foster mutual understanding and appreciation
of each other‘s societies and histories. The thesis explore how they work to actively convert
hostility to friendship and adroitly manage the relationship to prevent it drifting from
friendship to hostility, as well as using what Womack calls routinization, neutralization and
diplomatic ritual, in managing their partnership.
From the perspective of asymmetry theory, the PRC and South Africa are complementary.
South Africa is the largest; most sophisticated, developed and diversified economy in Africa
and the developing world. It possesses or has access to technical and managerial knowhow
that the PRC would have difficulty accessing elsewhere. South Africa remains a strategic maritime and naval route for the PRC‘s trade and accesses to key resources on the African
continent and elsewhere.
The study finds that asymmetry theory is useful in understanding how South Africa and the
PRC manage their relationship. Asymmetry theory provides a framework to analyse the
motivations and dynamic interactions that drive the progression of their diplomatic relations.
The findings of the thesis imply a diplomatic relationship between South Africa and the PRC
that is based on more than just the PRC‘s need for resources and diplomatic support in the
international system. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die onlangse toetrede van die VolksRepubliek van China (VRC) tot die geledere van die
ekonomiese supermoondhede het een van die mees beduidende verwikkelinge in
wêreldaangeleenthede geword. Soos die VRC ekonomies belangriker geword het, is gepoog
om hierdie sukses te herhaal op ander terreine van die land se buitelandse betrekkinge met die
res van die wêreld. Afrika en Afrika lande is ‗n streek waar die VRC se betrokkenheid en
verbindnisse groot konsternasie ontlok het, veral vanaf Westerse lande. Maar hierdie streek,
relatief tot sy geografiese en demografiese grootte, natuurlike hulpbronne en betrokkenheid
by ander streke en veral Westerse lande, bly onbeduidend in die VRC se buitelandse
betrekkinge.
Die aandag wat Suid Afrika van die VRC geniet is disproporsioneel in vergelyking met die
belang van die VRC se soeke na hulpbronne om haar fenomenale ekonomiese groei te stook.
Die verhoudinge tussen Suid-Afrika en die VRC het in die bestek van ‗n dekade gegroei in
diepte en kompleksiteit wat als oorskadu ten spyte van groot ongelykhede tussen hulle. Suid-
Afrika is die eerste ontwikkelende land met wie die VRC ‗n omvattende strategiese
vennootskap gesluit het. Terwyl die konsep van ‗n ‗strategiese vennootskap‘ onduidelik bly
in internasionale betrekkinge, vergestalt dit betrekinge van beduidenis en statuur wat gewone
bilatirale betrekkinge aanvul, alhoewel laasgenoemde beter gedefinieer en bindend is as
eersgenoemde. Dit is duidelik dat die Chinese regering groot belang heg aan betrekkinge met
Suid-Afrika
Die oorgang na demokrasie en ‗n florerende plurale sosio-ekonomiese kulturele samelewing
wat bewonder word ten spyte van die uitdagings wat dit in die gesig staar, maak van Suid-
Afrika ‗n navolgingswaardige en wenslike vennoot. Suid-Afrika se internasionale statuur en
rol in die internasionale stelsel pas die VRC se doelwitte in hierdie opsig en maak van Suid-
Afrika ‗n goeie skerm floret vir die VRC. Maar, hierdie tesis betoog dat daar ook ander redes
is buiten die wel bekende natuurlike hulpbron onttrekking en diplomatieke argumente wat
Suid-Afrika vir die VRC aantreklik sou maak. Womack se ongelykheidsteorie in
internasionale betrekkinge word gebruik om dit te ondersoek en toe te lig.
Ongelykheidsteorie is nog nie voorheen in studies oor hierdie betrekkinge gebruik nie.
Hierdie tesis verskaf dus ‗n belangrike alternatiewe metode om hierdie betrekkinge te
bestudeer.
Die tesis ondersoek Suid-Afrika en die VRC se betrekkinge na aanleiding van Womack
(2001, 2003, 2003a, 2006, 2006a, 2010) se terminologie en metodologie en fokus op gebiede
waar die twee lande mekaar komplimenteer en kan saamwerk; wedersydse verstaan van, en
waardering vir, mekaar se mense en geskiedenisse kan koester; om aktief vyandigheid te
omskep in vriendskap en om verhoudings so bedrewe te bestuur dat vriendskap nie in
vyhandigheid verander nie; en om ook wat Womack roetiene, neutraliteit en diplomatieke
ritueel noem te gebruik in die bestuur van hul vennootskap.
Deur die lens van ongelykheidsteorie kyk die tesis na wat die vinnige progressie wat hierdie
betrekkinge onderskraag, motiveer en verklaar. Vanuit die perspektief van ongelykheidsteorie vind die VRC Suid-Afrika komplimenterend.
Dit is die grootste, mees gesofistikeerde, ontwikkelde en gediversifiseerde ekonomie in
Afrika en die ontwikkelende wêreld. Dit besit of het toegang tot tegniese en bestuurskennis
wat die VRC moeilik elders toegang toe sou kon kry. Suid-Afrika bly ‗n strategiese maritime
en vloot roete vir VRC handel en toegang tot sleutel hulpbronne op die Afrika kontinent en
elders.
Een van die bevindings van die studie is dat ongelykheidsteorie ‗n nuttige metode is om die
bestuur van die verhouding tussen Suid-Afrika en die VRC te verstaan.
Dit verskaf ‗n raamwerk vir die analise van die motiverings en dinamiese interaksies wat die
vordering van hul diplomatieke betrekkinge bepaal.
Die bevindings van die tesis impliseer dat die diplomatieke betrekkinge tussen Suid-Afrika en
die VRC nie net op die VRC se behoefte aan bronne en diplomatieke steun in die
internasionale stelsel gebaseer is nie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/97006 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Sithole, Abel Moffat |
| Contributors | Cornelissen, Scarlett, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xvi, 118 pages |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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