Chasing ghosts: Rumours and representations of the export of Chinese convict labour to developing countries

Yan Hairong, Barry Sautman

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

38 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A recent addition to the global discourse of China's interaction with developing countries has been the claim that the Chinese government exports prison labour to these countries. While no evidence is ever presented to support this claim, it has been widely circulated in international and local media, as well as on the internet. This article examines the origins of the rumour and the mechanisms of its transmission. It shows that while the rumour often originates at the grass roots in developing countries, it is promoted locally and globally by political, economic and media elites with distinct agendas that often involve building support for opposition parties, competition in obtaining contracts, or geo-strategic and ideological rivalry. We analyse the rumour's circulation in light of the larger discourse on China and developing countries, and discuss why Chinese official responses to the claim have proved to be ineffective.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)398-418
Number of pages21
JournalChina Quarterly
Issue number210
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2012

Keywords

  • Africa
  • China
  • convict labour
  • rumour

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Development
  • Political Science and International Relations

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Chasing ghosts: Rumours and representations of the export of Chinese convict labour to developing countries'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this