A voice from the `60s earns new appraisal
The Monash Africa Centre at MSA
Revisiting a controversial 1960s account of African student experiences in Maoist China adds a different understanding to the history of Chinese-African relationships.
Assistant Professor Philip Liu, from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, will discuss John Emmanuel Hevi’s book An African Student in China at the ‘Chinese in Africa and Africans in China’ conference and public seminar to be held at Monash South Africa’s Africa Centre.
Most Sino-African studies have focused on Chinese economic and political affairs in Africa, Professor Liu said, presenting a positive view of the Chinese as providers of charity and builders of infrastructure.
“Reviewing African experiences in China will help us see Sino-African relationships from different perspectives,” Professor Liu said.
Hevi’s book, published in 1966, describes strict Chinese political control, preferential treatment of Europeans, the arrests of Chinese girls for their friendships with Africans and Chinese feelings of racial superiority over black Africans.
“It can be hard to believe that the extremely socialist China fostered racism against Africans, especially during the 1960s when the Chinese, who were also coloured people, seemed dedicated to winning Africa’s friendship,” Professor Liu said.
It was also significant that Hevi’s book was intended to criticise the pro-Beijing policy of Ghana’s president at the time: such a work appearing during the Cold War easily attracted accusations of bias.
“Many scholars suspected that Hevi’s ability to present a fair view of China was compromised, criticising the book for being exaggerated, colour-conscious, over-simplified and emotional on petty annoyances,” Professor Liu said.
But he said that although Chinese civilians were encouraged for political reasons to consider Africans as equals, racist attitudes were deeply entrenched in the country’s history.
“Thus, a combination of political brotherhood and social racism among civilians was the environment Hevi faced when he went to China in November 1960,” Professor Liu said.
His paper, based on declassified official files from China, reappraises Hevi’s views.
“Hevi spoke for many African students who generally felt mistreated by the Chinese,” Professor Liu said.
“Through studying Hevi’s experiences, we can construct images of Africans in China during the 1960s and reanalyse whether his work was based on petty annoyances.”
The ‘Chinese in Africa and Africans in China’ conference and public seminar will be held from 21-23 August 2012 at Monash South Africa, and feature experts in Chinese and African relations from around the world. Assistant Professor Liu will speak from 1.30-3.15pm on 21 August.