The political economy of South-South relations: a comparative analysis of China’s investments in Brazil and South Africa

The political economy of South-South relations: a comparative analysis of China’s investments in Brazil and South Africa

BRICS has constituted itself throughout the 2000s as a political and economic grouping of the Global South. Based on previous research and partnerships, this new project aims to strengthen the collaboration between the BRICS Policy Center (BPC) and the African Centre for Citizenship and Democracy and deepen a comparative analysis of China’s investments in Brazil and South Africa. The project will produce two full reports that will be mapping: Chinese foreign direct investment flows, observing volumes, projects, main sectors and companies operating in Brazil and South Africa; the main public and private institutions (local governments, banks, business associations) that facilitate the interfaces between investors and beneficiary states; public policies that facilitate, promote and protect investments, such as national programs, legislation, investment agreements, as well as credit policies, will be analyzed; finally, identify relevant projects in Brazil and South Africa to analyze the local dynamics generated by Chinese investments, their impacts on local communities, workers and environment.

With the materials produced by the two teams, the project will promote strategic networking, exchange, and mutual learning among academics, civil society organizations, and grassroots movements around Chinese investments in the two countries. Furthermore, with a focus on the comparison and evaluation of public policies, the project will create spaces for democratic dialogue with public agents and decision-makers at the local, national, and international levels. We will discuss to what extent South-South investments can occur in a more cooperative manner, under more balanced socio-environmental bases, or whether these investments reproduce hierarchies between countries of the Global South with negative impacts on communities, workers, and the environment. Thus, we intend to contribute to a broader understanding of the new configurations of global capitalism and the role of China, and to the development of public policies aimed at economic, sustainable, and inclusive development.

The project is supported by the Karibu Foundation, FAPERJ, among other national research institutions, and will be coordinated by Professors Ana Saggioro Garcia and Maria Elena Rodriguez (BPC-IRI/PUC-Rio) and Lisa Thompson (ACCEDE and University of Western Cape).