Chinese people in Senegal
Encyclopedia
There is a small but growing population of Chinese people in Senegal, largely consisting of expatriates from the People's Republic of China
who began arriving in the country
in the 1980s.
's administration granted official recognition to the Republic of China
(ROC) on Taiwan
in 1996. The ROC's diplomatic success was not matched by the development of economic relations; instead, the traders from the PRC, actually on the ground in Senegal, were able to cultivate political and popular support. Their efforts paid off in October 2005, when Senegal broke off relations with the ROC and restored its relations with the PRC, an event which was greeted with celebrations by local Chinese migrants. The ROC responded by accusing the PRC of "buying" Senegal's allegiance by pledging US$
600 million in foreign aid.
In 2004, the PRC's official People's Daily
published an estimate of 300 Chinese in Senegal. In 2008, the South China Morning Post
published official numbers from an unspecified source stating that 150 Chinese families totalling 200 to 300 people lived in Dakar alone, but Chinese in Senegal who were interviewed estimated the true number might be as high as 1,000. Another report by Radio Australia
's Chinese edition in January 2009 put the total number at 2,000.
", though it still lacks some of the visual features associated with Chinatowns in other countries, such as Chinese lantern
s. Chinese merchants typically convert their buildings into shophouse
s, with living space in the back and retail space in the front. According to a Voice of America
report, Chinese wholesalers can gross
several thousand dollars per day. Their influence has largely shifted the centre of commerce in Dakar away from the historic Sandaga market to the Centenaire area.
Chinese merchants largely sell imported goods; in 2006, imports from China to Senegal accounted for 94% of the two countries' total trade relationship. Larger Senegalese traders who compete with the Chinese shops them often blame them for flooding the market with cheap goods, and even organised a strike in 2004 through their business association UNACOIS (a French acronym for "Senegalese Union of Traders and Industrialists") to demand caps on Chinese immigration. In particular, they accuse Chinese merchants of paying bribes and evading taxes
. However, the low prices they offer benefit both consumers as well as small itinerant vendors
who go door-to-door in poor neighbourhoods reselling goods they purchase from the Chinese. The head of Senegalese consumer association ASCOSEN even organised a counter-protest in opposition to UNACOIS's 2004 protest, in turn accusing them of cheating consumers by selling goods imported from China at prices up to ten times as much as those offered by Chinese traders. Others credit Chinese traders with creating jobs for locals. Each shop employs about two or three local assistants, and one local observer noted that they have had the effect of decreasing crime, as "young kids who used to be pickpockets are now hired as messengers".
As a result of the low prices they offer, Chinese traders have not only been able to outcompete large Senegalese merchants in Dakar, but have also begun to displace diasporic Lebanese
from their traditional position as the market-dominant minority there as well; members of those two groups have begun to shift to a business pattern of buying goods from the Chinese and reselling them in more remote areas of the country where no Chinese migrants live. Chinese wholesalers also attract merchants from nearby West African countries, especially Gambia, Guinea-Bissau
, and Mali
, who find it cheaper to come to Senegal to purchase Chinese goods for resale in their home countries, rather than go through the expensive and time-consuming process of obtaining a PRC visa and flying to China themselves.
and French
from them in return, a form of language exchange
. However, they have little contact with local people outside of work, instead mostly socialising with and living near other Chinese people. They are perceived by local people as a secretive community.
Chinese in Senegal have formed a variety of community associations, including:
Chinese traders in Senegal often become the victims of violent crime. In 2002, a woman went missing and was never heard from again; in 2004, Sun Fengzhi and her son Wang Kun were murdered in their home in Dakar. In February 2009, after the murder of businessman Zhao Suiqin (赵遂勤) from Henan
, 214 Chinese-owned shops held a work stoppage to protest the slow police investigations of violence against them; some Senegalese merchants also closed their shops in solidarity.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
who began arriving in the country
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
in the 1980s.
Migration history
Migrants from the People's Republic of China (PRC) began flowing into Senegal in the 1980s. They rented properties at above-market rates in the Centenaire area, and remained in the country even after Senegalese president Abdou DioufAbdou Diouf
Abdou Diouf was the second President of Senegal, serving from 1981 to 2000. Diouf is notable both for coming to power by peaceful succession, and leaving willingly after losing the 2000 presidential election to Abdoulaye Wade...
's administration granted official recognition to the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(ROC) on Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
in 1996. The ROC's diplomatic success was not matched by the development of economic relations; instead, the traders from the PRC, actually on the ground in Senegal, were able to cultivate political and popular support. Their efforts paid off in October 2005, when Senegal broke off relations with the ROC and restored its relations with the PRC, an event which was greeted with celebrations by local Chinese migrants. The ROC responded by accusing the PRC of "buying" Senegal's allegiance by pledging US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
600 million in foreign aid.
In 2004, the PRC's official People's Daily
People's Daily
The People's Daily is a daily newspaper in the People's Republic of China. The paper is an organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China , published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. In addition to its main Chinese-language edition, it has editions in English,...
published an estimate of 300 Chinese in Senegal. In 2008, the South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
published official numbers from an unspecified source stating that 150 Chinese families totalling 200 to 300 people lived in Dakar alone, but Chinese in Senegal who were interviewed estimated the true number might be as high as 1,000. Another report by Radio Australia
Radio Australia
Radio Australia is the international broadcasting and online service operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation , Australia's public broadcaster.- History :...
's Chinese edition in January 2009 put the total number at 2,000.
Business and employment
, there were roughly 200 Chinese-owned shops in Dakar, largely concentrated around Dakar's Boulevard du Centenaire. The area is rapidly becoming known as the local "ChinatownChinatown
A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
", though it still lacks some of the visual features associated with Chinatowns in other countries, such as Chinese lantern
Chinese lantern
A Chinese lantern can refer to the following:*A collapsible paper lantern or sky lantern in bright colours used for decorative purposes, commonly painted with Chinese art and calligraphy motifs.*The shrub Abutilon x hybridum...
s. Chinese merchants typically convert their buildings into shophouse
Shophouse
A shophouse is a vernacular architectural building type that is commonly seen in areas such as urban Southeast Asia. This hybrid building form characterises the historical centres of most towns and cities in the region.- Design and features :...
s, with living space in the back and retail space in the front. According to a Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
report, Chinese wholesalers can gross
Gross (economics)
In economics, gross means before deductions. The antonym is net, meaning after deductions.-Usage:In this sense, it may appear an adjective, following the noun it modifies, e.g., "earned two million dollars, gross"...
several thousand dollars per day. Their influence has largely shifted the centre of commerce in Dakar away from the historic Sandaga market to the Centenaire area.
Chinese merchants largely sell imported goods; in 2006, imports from China to Senegal accounted for 94% of the two countries' total trade relationship. Larger Senegalese traders who compete with the Chinese shops them often blame them for flooding the market with cheap goods, and even organised a strike in 2004 through their business association UNACOIS (a French acronym for "Senegalese Union of Traders and Industrialists") to demand caps on Chinese immigration. In particular, they accuse Chinese merchants of paying bribes and evading taxes
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
. However, the low prices they offer benefit both consumers as well as small itinerant vendors
Peddler
A peddler, in British English pedlar, also known as a canvasser, cheapjack, monger, or solicitor , is a travelling vendor of goods. In England, the term was mostly used for travellers hawking goods in the countryside to small towns and villages; they might also be called tinkers or gypsies...
who go door-to-door in poor neighbourhoods reselling goods they purchase from the Chinese. The head of Senegalese consumer association ASCOSEN even organised a counter-protest in opposition to UNACOIS's 2004 protest, in turn accusing them of cheating consumers by selling goods imported from China at prices up to ten times as much as those offered by Chinese traders. Others credit Chinese traders with creating jobs for locals. Each shop employs about two or three local assistants, and one local observer noted that they have had the effect of decreasing crime, as "young kids who used to be pickpockets are now hired as messengers".
As a result of the low prices they offer, Chinese traders have not only been able to outcompete large Senegalese merchants in Dakar, but have also begun to displace diasporic Lebanese
Lebanese people in Senegal
-Migration history:The first trader from Lebanon arrived in Senegal in the 1860s. However, early migration was slow; by 1900, there were only about one hundred Lebanese living in the country, mostly from the vicinity of Tyre. They worked as street vendors in Dakar, Saint-Louis, and Rufisque. After...
from their traditional position as the market-dominant minority there as well; members of those two groups have begun to shift to a business pattern of buying goods from the Chinese and reselling them in more remote areas of the country where no Chinese migrants live. Chinese wholesalers also attract merchants from nearby West African countries, especially Gambia, Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
, and Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, who find it cheaper to come to Senegal to purchase Chinese goods for resale in their home countries, rather than go through the expensive and time-consuming process of obtaining a PRC visa and flying to China themselves.
Integration and community
Chinese shop-owners often teach their African employees Mandarin and learn WolofWolof language
Wolof is a language spoken in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania, and is the native language of the Wolof people. Like the neighbouring languages Serer and Fula, it belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger–Congo language family...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
from them in return, a form of language exchange
Language exchange
Tandem language learning is a method of language learning based on mutual language exchange between tandem partners...
. However, they have little contact with local people outside of work, instead mostly socialising with and living near other Chinese people. They are perceived by local people as a secretive community.
Chinese in Senegal have formed a variety of community associations, including:
- The Senegalese Association of Overseas Chinese, established in Dakar in October 2007.
- The Chinese Association of Senegal (塞内加尔华人联谊会), headed by Li Jicai (李吉才)
- The Association of Chinese Businessmen in Senegal
- The Senegal Chinese Friendship Association (塞内加尔中国人联谊会)
Chinese traders in Senegal often become the victims of violent crime. In 2002, a woman went missing and was never heard from again; in 2004, Sun Fengzhi and her son Wang Kun were murdered in their home in Dakar. In February 2009, after the murder of businessman Zhao Suiqin (赵遂勤) from Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
, 214 Chinese-owned shops held a work stoppage to protest the slow police investigations of violence against them; some Senegalese merchants also closed their shops in solidarity.
External links
- Chinese in Dakar - a photo set on FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
- SENEGAL: Chinese companies keen back Africa's farms but want greater support, including ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
video from a Chinese market in Dakar - The Colony, an Al Jazeera English documentary about the Chinese in Senegal