Paper short abstract:

Drawing on data collected over six weeks of ethnographic fieldwork in Luanda in 2012, this paper destabilizes conventional perceptions of 'the Chinese' in Angola by examining the fraught encounters of Chinese citizens with both the Angolan state and their own government.

Paper long abstract:

Over the past decade, Angola, China's largest trading partner in Africa, has engaged in a tremendous campaign of post-war reconstruction in which China plays a crucial role. As has occurred elsewhere on the continent, the signing of bilateral agreements between China and Angola has been accompanied by an influx of Chinese labor, commodities, and entrepreneurs. Drawing on data collected over six weeks of ethnographic fieldwork in Luanda in 2012, this paper destabilizes conventional perceptions of 'the Chinese' in Angola by examining the fraught encounters of Chinese citizens with both the Angolan state and their own government. Many Angolans perceive Chinese residents of Angola as representatives and beneficiaries of China's increasing political and economic influence in Angola, and some critics link Chinese investment directly to corrupt practices within the Dos Santos regime. In contrast, Chinese workers and entrepreneurs view themselves as victims of petty crime, extortion by the Angolan police, and neglect by the Chinese embassy. Chinese migrants may benefit from state-led commercial initiatives. However, they lack the basic guarantees of citizenship while nonetheless remaining subject to forms of state regulation that fall outside the realm of transparency or even legality. Several illustrative examples demonstrate how Chinese residents of Luanda negotiate relationships with the Chinese and Angolan states, and with what political and social effects.