Decentering Global China Amidst Questions of Urban Change: Insights from Johannesburg and Lusaka

Paper Abstract: The emergence (and expansion) of varieties of ‘global China’ in Southern Africa has not only gained traction in terms of geopolitical, socio-economic, and cultural perspectives, but has also been coupled with a varied spatial manifestation. Particularly visible in urban environments, Chinese investments, entrepreneurship, and a multifaceted presence have contributed towards shaping the morphology of the urban fabric at different scales. However, whether knowingly or subconsciously, ‘Chinese spaces’ often end up being framed as exotic, different, and operating in parallel to the host society. This has also largely been reflected in scholarly work, where analytical framings of difference and othering, as well as fixed associations with certain imaginaries have been privileged. This paper aims to disrupt this predominant script. Drawing on fieldwork in Johannesburg and Lusaka, alongside a joint method of un-writing and writing anew, it explores how the spatial translation of Chinese capital, people and ideas has become entangled in a much wider and complex reality of urban change in these two cities.