Browsing by Author "Machado, Pamela"
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- Assessing China and Angola relations: the implications of the 'Angola model’ of economic developmentPublication . Machado, PamelaThe increasingly close relationship between China and Africa has been extensively discussed in the international media as well as within the academic sphere: African countries play a key role in China's multi-billion project 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI) because the continent represents an important market opportunity for China to expand businesses and increase exports; on the receiving end, African leaders have been eager to take advantage of loans and credit lines offered by Beijing in order to spur economic development at home. Even though the BRI is said to be an economic project envisioned by the Chinese government, it has often been regarded as a tool of foreign policy as Beijing has deployed it to establish and strengthen diplomatic ties with developing countries, thus reshaping the geopolitical order. In the context of Africa, Angola has emerged as oneof China's main trading partners and much of the relationship between the two countries has centred around the use of Angola's vast oil reserves to secure infrastructure financing. This model of resource backed credit became known as 'the Angolan Model' and it was further adopted in other countries in Africa and Latin America. More than a decade after the first loan was secured, Angola finds itself in a fragile position: oil prices have hit record low levels in 2020, its economy struggles to grow and 45percent of its debt is owed to China. This paper aims to explore the relationship between China andAngola within the BRI framework, the merits and pitfalls of the 'Angolan model' of economic development, and proposes a reflection on the emerging role of China as a leading actor in the global political economy.
- The portuguese-speaking World between West and East : China, Lusophone countries and the geopolitics the 21st centuryPublication . Machado, Pamela; Garcia, Francisco ProençaWith the acceleration of globalisation and the waning influence of Western directives in the international system, the two first decades of the 21st century were marked by increasing multipolarity and the rise of forms of diplomacy among emerging powers. Alternative models have started to arise, culminating in more initiatives of 'South-South Cooperation' (SSC), a new development framework based on shared experiences among countries in the Global South. This changing order is an opportunity to study and reinvent the current paradigm. In this context, the Portuguese language has an interesting role in the transformation of global politics, even if it has often been overlooked.. While countries of the Portuguese-speaking Global South used to be under stronger Western influence, the rise of new powers, especially China, has created new opportunities and new alliances. This dissertation sought to map and understand Chinese presence in the Lusophone world of the Global South, using the case studies of Lusophone Africa, in the context of rising geopolitical powers. Through exploratory research and review of literature, the purpose was to answer two main questions: firstly, seeking to understand Chinese multilateralism and foreign policy towards the Portuguese-speaking world, looking at the case study of Angola; and secondly, looking at the experiences of Portuguese- speaking countries in the Global South and moving from theory into practical examples, it sought to understand democratic development and map some of the most pressing problems with the intent of finding more sustainable and democratically sound solutions