Paper short abstract:

Research on Sino-African engagement poses challenges to researchers, particularly in terms of access to people and information both in Africa and China. Methodological refinements such as multiple fieldwork periods and attention to socio-cultural environment can help overcome these challenges.

Paper long abstract:

As the African continent is witnessing an increase of economic and political engagement with China, a growing number of scholars from across the globe is contributing to the production of knowledge on the subject. Notwithstanding this widening of literature, conducting research on Sino-African relations is consistently posing challenges, particularly in terms of access (to people and information) and in tracing the threads of research to China.

Mainstream methodological approaches appear incapable of fully grasping the layered political, social and cultural complexity of Chinese engagement with African nations. This is especially true for research interactions often hindered by language barriers or the lack of cross-cultural trust. In this context, higher methodological scrutiny is crucial to overcome the daily challenges that such complexity poses to researchers.

Knowledge of the Chinese socio-cultural environment (and ideally language) allows the researcher to recognise the difficulty some informants have in conceiving the research being undertaken, depending on whether they have studied before or after educational reforms, and thus taking appropriate steps. Multiple field trips can help build relationships based on mutual trust, facilitating formal interviewing as well as expanding the pool of informants in loco. This appears to be particularly important as research on Sino-African engagement requires the establishment of bottom-up connections with informants rather than approaching organisations and institutions from the top-down.

Building on fieldwork experience in both Kenya and China, this paper offers reflections on some of these methodological adjustments and on how researchers can deploy them to better overcome problems of access.