China's Participation In East Africa's Transportation Infrastructure Construction

Infrastructure cooperation is an important part of China-Africa relations.With the"One Belt,One Road" initiative,China's participation in Africa's infrastructure construction has deepened.The article firstly review the literature on the relationship between infrastructure construction and economic development,China-Africa relations and infrastructure cooperation and the theory of international relations related to infrastructure.The article proposes the need to analyze the inherent logic of China's participation through case studies and comparative studies.We can construct subjective cognition and draw general conclusions beyond the "colonial discourse".The article then focuses on the transportation infrastructure cooperation in East Africa.The first step is to review the Ugandan Railway built by the British colonists.The Ugandan Railway construction decision is based on the imperial expansion policy.The construction process brings together the resources of the British Empire,especially India.Later,the British military and political control and economic colonization of the East African colonies were strengthened.The second step is a review of the history of China-Africa transport infrastructure cooperation.In the 1960s and 1970s,China mainly provided assistance to Africa due to political considerations.After entering the 21st century,China-Africa infrastructure cooperation and resource cooperation are closely linked.In recent years,The deepening of China-Africa infrastructure cooperation has become an important area for the two sides to strengthen their development partnership and seek a new international economic order.China-Africa infrastructure cooperation has been deepened under the call of African countries.It not only presents the characteristics of equality,mutual benefit and common development,but also reflects China's own political and economic changes.The third step analyzes the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway and the Djibouti--Addis Ababa Railway.The construction decisions are made by African countries.China provides all-round support including planning,financing,construction and operation.Railway construction uses Chinese standards for the first time in Africa.A balance of benefits and costs has been achieved.China has focused on technology transfer in railway construction,trained a large number of local employees,promoted local related industries,and conveyed positive values.These railways have played its role,and will be included in the integrated transportation network.China and Africa are jointly committed to the industrial development along the railway for the sustainable operation.In addition,the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund projects were studied.The scale of such projects is relatively small.The EU uses its own comparative advantages to provide financing and preliminary research assistance,which has achieved better leverage effect.The article then summarizes the external participation structure of African transportation infrastructure construction.The external participation structures are influenced by factors such as strength and status.The Uganda Railway has a dominant structure due to its colonial attributes.The Mombasa-Nairobi Railway and the Djibouti--Addis Ababa Railway have a partner structure on the base of win-win.The Tanzania-Zambia Railway and the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund project have a support structure because of the less powerful and smaller perspective of participation.Different external force structures lead to great differences in decisions,financing,construction methods and subsequent development.The article also pays attention to the interaction between the rising powers and the backward countries,pointing out that China-Africa development partners provide a united front,incremental space and marginal game field for China's further development,and African countries will also obtain structural opportunities for national political and economic development.Finally,the article points out that the current China-African transportation infrastructure cooperation is the result of the coupling of political will,economic appeal and technical conditions.It is necessary to seize the strategic opportunity period and implement the existing and follow-up projects.