Abstract:
South Africa’s burgeoning relationship with China exposes the increasing
complexities of its post-apartheid international relations. On one hand
bilateral relations have deepened since 1998, due to the increasing
complementarities with South Africa’s foreign policy priorities that
emphasise developmental pragmatism and a Southward orientation
within the broader African context. On the other hand this relationship
emphasises the deeper schisms within South African society itself,
where divergent and multi-layered perspectives on South Africa’s postapartheid
identity and relationship with China, the country’s largest
trading partner, remains unresolved. This article maps out the nature of
China–South Africa relations through a thematic approach. This allows
for nuanced consideration of South Africa’s contemporary foreign
policy, one that remains compressed between a combination of external
and domestic factors.
