Does the Chinese-Sponsored Railway in Kenya Buy Hearts and Minds for China?

• In Event: The State and Its Infrastructure Fantasies: Domestic and International

Abstract

A decade into the Belt and Road Initiative, China has supported a diverse array of infrastructure projects, but are they effective in buying hearts and minds for China? Researchers show mixed results. Salient infrastructure projects often complicate rather than enhance China’s global image. However, many results come from public opinion surveys that are not specifically designed to evaluate public perceptions toward these projects. In addition, the awareness and knowledge about these projects - the crucial assumption that connects project outcomes to local citizens’ perceptions - are often not empirically tested. This project contributes to the literature by implementing a customized survey focusing on the Kenya Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), a Chinese-sponsored Belt and Road flagship project. We draw empirical evidence from a national household survey in Kenya (to be implemented in March-April 2024) with a sample size of 1,350. We ask respondents questions regarding 1) their knowledge about SGR and how they get the information, 2) their overall support of the project and what they like and dislike about it, 3) their interest in and knowledge about China, and 4) their overall perceptions of Chinese companies and the Chinese government and what they like and dislike about them. We oversample the population living within 25 km of the railway. We leverage the fact that the route of SGR is not selected by the Chinese or Kenyan government: The SGR is parallel to the British railway of the 19th century. We compare the responses from citizens who live close to the railway with those who live farther away to test the effects of SGR.

Authors

• Xiaonan Wang, Baruch College, CUNY

• Yuan Wang