Uncovering African Agency: Non-State Actors and Sino–Ghana Relations

The burgeoning China–Africa debates often fail to consider questions of African agency and, in particular, the role played by non-state actors (NSAs)—such as civil society organizations (CSOs), the media, and local groups—to give greater voice to African agency in Sino–African relations (SRA). Drawing on qualitative methods (i.e., interviews and content analysis), this study examines the relationship and focuses primarily on the case of Ghana to investigate how these NSAs engage, negotiate, influence, and resist Chinese actors’ involvement in Africa. It answers the question: “To what extent do NSAs (i.e., CSOs, the media, and local groups) exert agency in Sino–Ghana relations?”