China and Namibia, 1990 to 2015: how a new actor changes the dynamics of political economy

ABSTRACT The article identifies changes in Namibia’s society linked to China’s new role. To understand such changes, it is important to avoid isolating ‘Chinese actors’ from their host society. The author analyses links between Chinese and Namibian actors in three domains: ‘soft power’, Chinese traders and the construction industry. In all three, the presence of Chinese actors does not simply change Namibia’s relations with the world. It has important repercussions on Namibian society, it influences the distribution of capital within Namibia and it engenders shifts in the internal balance of power. Since Chinese influence does not remain external, the line between ‘Chinese’ and ‘Namibian’ actors has long become blurred – turning Namibian political elites into constituent parts of the ‘external’ dynamics they are charged with regulating.