Doing research on, in and around Chinese financed, constructed and maintained Parliament buildings in Africa

This talk examines the construction of African parliament buildings by the Chinese state as a significant modality of contemporary diplomatic engagement, offering a critical lens on Sino-African relations and the evolution of African political institutions.

China has funded, constructed and refurbished new parliament buildings for several African countries. Chinese government and construction firms are involved in every stage of these projects, from design and construction to furnishing and long-term maintenance. China’s financing of African parliament buildings represents a significant and tangible development for understanding China-Africa relations, the evolution of African parliaments, and policy-relevant debates on contemporary representative politics in Africa. This talk is based on a recently published book, China and African Parliaments (Oxford University Press, June 2025). Data was gathered in Lesotho, Malawi, and Zimbabwe through official access to all three parliament buildings, key informant interviews with political and civil society elites (including former heads of state, cabinet ministers, foreign affairs and donor aid coordination officials, parliament executives, parliamentarians, public construction officials, NGO leaders, trade unionists, academics, and journalists), and focus group discussions with a cross-section of ordinary citizens living and working near the buildings. The talk draws primarily on the researcher’s field diary and focuses on the research process, including how access to these sensitive state buildings was negotiated, as well as the challenges and rewards of conducting research in and around such sites. It enhances our understanding of the on-the-ground interactions between Chinese and African elites and the practicalities and complexities of using state buildings as key points for political analysis. 

Speaker

Dr. Innocent Batsani-Ncube (Ib), Senior Lecturer in African Politics at Queen Mary, University of London, is a SOAS alumni and author of China and African Parliaments (Oxford University Press). His research explores China’s role in the Global South, political dynamics in megacities, African regional organisations, and nuclear power politics. His research has been recognised by the most prestigious Early Career Research prize in African Studies in the UK, the 2024 African Studies Association (ASA-UK) Best Thesis Prize. Before academia, Ib was a prominent figure in Zimbabwean civil society, founding the Contemporary Affairs Foundation to foster critical thinking and leadership. He also managed UN Democracy Fund supported projects and contributed to Zimbabwe’s constitution-making process.

Photo: new Parliament of Zimbabwe under construction. Credit: Innocent Batsani-Ncube.