China-Angola Relations Over the Past Two Decades:
Urban and Technological Development

Xiaoying Hou
Xi’an International Studies University, China

"Mediated Public Diplomacy in China-Angola Relations: The Case of Chinese Business Communities"

• China-Angola relations after 2008 global crisis is characterized Angola’s trade surplus and Chinese increasing investment in economic dimension, and Chinese Public Diplomacy (PD) activities in cultural dimension. China’s PD activities in Angola aim to generate soft power, and furthermore, collect political supports in bilateral trade and international multilateral regime from both Angolan government and public. China’s PD activities in Angola are characterized by media outreach, immigrants, student exchanges, and companies PR activities. Since 2017, the US government began to consider China’s increasing influence in African states as threat to American influence in this region and entered in soft power competition with China. EU institutions take the same stance of the US since 2018. In this context, various IR actors compete with each other to influence Angolan elites’ perceptions and behaviours towards China via Mediated Public Diplomacy (MPD). This thesis attempts to answer the question how Angolan and Chinese elites, by influencing media coverage on China’s PD activities in Angola, to shape Angolan perception on China. To answer this question, I follow Entman’s Cascading Network Activation model, hypothesize that, the Angolan natives’ opinion is highly consistent with salient issues and attributes in news written in Portuguese while the opinion of Chinese communities in Angola, with salient issues and attributes in news written in Chinese; Angolan elites’ motivation, strategy, control over media, determine media coverage in Angop. I firstly conduct content analysis with MAXQDA program of the news samples collected from Chinese online newspaper Xinhua.net and Angolan newspaper Angop. The qualitative analysis identifies, congruent and divergent issues, attributes, and attitudes regarding China’s PD activities, presented in Chinese and Portuguese news on from the two newspapers. The quantitative content analysis describes the salience of issues, attributes and attitudes. Then, I compare the similarity and difference between the media coverage of the twonewspapers in terms of issues, attributes, attributes, and their salience.

Xiaoying Hou is a Ph.D. candidate in International Politics and Conflict Resolution which is offered by the Faculty of Economics in collaboration with the Centre for Social Studies (CES) of the University of Coimbra. She holds a Master’s in Portuguese Literature from the University of Coimbra, as well as a Bachelor of Portuguese Language and Culture from Xi’an International Studies University. She has acted as a lecturer in the undergraduate program of the Portuguese Language and Culture, in School of Occidental Studies, of Xi’an International Studies University (西安外国语大学) since 2011. Driven by a passion for Soft Power and Pubic Diplomacy studies, Xiaoying Hou explores Mediated Public Diplomacy and National image, with a particular emphasis on Agenda-setting Analysis, Framing analysis, and Cascading Network Activation model.

Garcia Neves Quitari
Agostinho Neto University, Luanda, Angola

“The Impact of Chinese Investments in Angola: The Case of the Real Estate Sector in Luanda”

• This study examines the evolution of Chinese investments in Angola's real estate sector over the past two decades, focusing on the impact of policy changes introduced by the Angolan government elected in 2017. How have these measures changed the nature of Chinese investments in Angola? The recent shift in Angola's strategy, prioritizing private and especially foreign investments over public financing in the housing sector, marks a significant departure from the post-civil war period. In 2004, Chinese investments were predominantly channeled through direct agreements with the Angolan government, aimed at national reconstruction and economic recovery, with a focus on public investments and bolstering the national business community. These funds addressed housing needs through urban infrastructure reconstruction, the construction of new cities, and social housing projects, aligning with the Luanda Urban Growth Plan initiated in 2000 and subsequent plans until 2016. The new paradigm adopted by the 2017 government has led to two major developments analyzed in this study: (1) the shift of large Chinese construction companies to other sectors such as mining and agriculture, and (2) the rise of medium and small Chinese construction and materials trading companies, which are now central to Luanda's urban expansion. This study includes a case analysis of two residential complexes (“Orlando” and “Mundo da China”) and two shopping centers (“Shopping Kilamba” and “Cidade da China”) to illustrate the impact of recent economic policy changes on social dynamics and commercial relationships within these developments.

Garcia Neves Quitari is a Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Agostinho Neto University, Angola. He is also a PhD candidate in Sociology at the Faculty of Sociology and Public Policies at ISCTE, in Portugal. He holds a Master's degree in Sociology and Law and a Degree in Social Sciences at the Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil.  


Ernesto Isidro
Agostinho Neto University, Luanda, Angola

“Characterization of Consumption Patterns of Young Students in Luanda on the Chinese Platform Shein”

• This study explores the consumption patterns of the Chinese platform Shein among young Angolans, highlighting its significant growth in Angola in recent years. The research methodology includes interviews with approximately ten students from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Agostinho Neto University in Luanda and an analysis of their social media interactions, which serve as key channels for advertising and selling products purchased on Shein. Preliminary findings indicate that while many products are bought for personal use, the majority are intended for resale. The study reveals that the wide variety and good quality of Chinese products, coupled with the convenience of online shopping via the Shein app and the opportunity to resell with attractive profit margins, have driven young people to embrace the platform. Additionally, factors such as increased internet access, the availability of electronic payment methods, and the effects of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly influenced this trend among young Angolans. Our analysis suggests that these factors are not merely part of a global market trend. In a country where 66% of the population is young and over 60% of the unemployed are between 15 and 24 years old (National Statistics Institute – INE), the online market for Chinese products has provided an important alternative for young students in Angola, helping them navigate the challenges of securing formal employment and seeking alternative income opportunities in a non-traditional market segment.

Ernesto Isidro is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Agostinho Neto University, Angola. He holds a Master's degree in Social Service and Social Policy from the João Paulo II Institute of the Catholic University of Angola, and a degree in Sociology from the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Agostinho Neto University.