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Paper short abstract:

This paper aims to explore the interactions between Kenyan journalists and Chinese state actors under China-African media cooperation, which is alleged as China's cultural imperialism. It focuses on those connections and disruptions of China entering the local media field.

Paper long abstract:

Kenya is the node of China's Belt and Road Initiative in Africa and the hub of Chinese media engagements with the continent. With China's expanding interests in Africa, Beijing launched China-African media cooperation programs persuading African media to speak against Western criticisms and to manufacture a favourable public opinion for Chinese investments. There are concerns that this cooperation is Chinese cultural imperialism, whereas previous studies question if China would have space in those African countries whose media industry applies a western liberal-democratic paradigm and journalists are western-minded. It seems that when it comes to foreign powers- either China or the West, African media is often assumed as a simple-minded victim with neither agency nor creativity.

This ethnographic study examines the media interactions between Chinese state actors, Kenyan political forces, and Daily Nation, the largest private press in Kenya and a significant media partner of China, regarding the controversial Chinese-build Standard Gauge Railway. It shows communication barriers and mutual mistrust between China and Daily Nation under the media cooperation. Whereas Chinese actors complain local press is "biased" and carries no responsibility for Kenya's development owing to the influence of the West, local journalists insist they are just playing a watchdog role.

This paper argues that the local press has gone beyond the watchdog role; its journalistic practice shows multiple forms of cynicism with which the local press maintains scepticism towards Kenyan politicians and Chinese actors and stays hostile to their interferences; meanwhile, it can also cooperate with those forces.