Image makeover can make difference

Chinese firms must use tried and tested communication strategies to showcase their achievements

It is no longer that novel to point out that Chinese investments have had a huge impact on Africa's fortunes, especially in the past 15 years.

From the initial split between optimism and pessimism over the implications of Chinese firms' Silk Road to Africa, it is now more or less clear that Chinese investment is important for Africa's long delayed economic renewal.

However, the challenge for Chinese companies is that those who take an optimistic view of their role in Africa are by and large the researchers who take the trouble to analyze pros and cons by latching on to academic standards. The picture is quite different from journalists - both African and Western - who rush to paint a less rosy picture of China based on the hottest story in town. Evidence of this can be seen if one undertakes a comparative analysis of some African and Western media vis-a-vis writings in academic journals and books.

Obviously Chinese companies maintain an eye on their own return-on-investment and, as many an impartial analyst have advised, African governments and businesses would do well to ensure they extract benefits from engagements with Chinese corporate partners.

Indeed, a number of controversial cases across the continent show African check-and-balance institutions, especially judiciaries and legislatures, contesting certain deals between their countries and Chinese entities. Even without the benefit of empirical data, it is evident that the bulk of projects, especially in transport and energy, undertaken by Chinese firms have been found to be above board.

When history is written about how Africa turned the corner to become the world's magnet for investment, it is clear Chinese firms across infrastructure, natural resource extraction, IT and trade will feature prominently. As has been pointed out time and again thorough research and researchers, Chinese corporate interests in Africa have served to trigger a rethink by North America and Europe into returning to an Africa they had earlier abandoned.

However, what perturbs and perplexes is the age-old culture of near-introversion by managers of Chinese firms, especially in the wake of the often-jaundiced prejudice by Western competitors. Looking at media reports of Chinese companies' involvement in Africa, one sees a mismatch between the sheer heft in Chinese projects underway and the muted volume of media coverage of them.

Understandably, the tenor of often-stereotypical criticism of Chinese intentions in Africa has led to many Chinese company managers refraining from providing information on what they are up to in Africa. It would appear that in the face of unwarranted, misconceived denigration, many Chinese companies opt to take a low profile and mind their own business - literally.

As it is, one sees very little in the new investment projects launched by Chinese companies in Africa, save for cases where African governments are involved in such launches with an eye on publicizing their economic plans. On the other hand, many a Western firm will go to the media with gusto even when unveiling fairly innocuous products or services.

Students of Chinese corporate practices will point out that Chinese firms much prefer getting on with the job rather than climbing on rooftops to shout about their activities. This culture of withdrawal and silence is of course changing as the Chinese find that they have no choice but to play by the PR and corporate communications standards largely set by the West - Africa included. However, this change is slow coming and perhaps needs more dedicated support.

While it may be appreciated that ill-conceived bad press on some Chinese projects should see managers disappearing from public view, this is hardly a viable solution to build reputation.

Indeed, one of the biggest challenges for independent journalists and as researchers seeking to tell the story of Chinese firms and their activities in Africa is securing an appointment for an interview. In the absence of liaison with the media, even the most objective of journalists have been forced to speculate and make assumptions on behalf of voiceless Chinese managers, often with disastrous consequences for company image.

Avoiding media is a poor response to anti-Chinese sentiments. Chinese firms need to appropriate the many tried and tested corporate communication strategies to hold up their contribution to Africa's economic renewal.

The author is a PhD candidate at the Communication University of China in Beijing and research associate at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. The views do not necessairly reflect those of China Daily.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 05/16/2014 page11)