Welcome to China, now go home

South African students in China on government scholarships report what they consider luxurious conditions, excellent teaching and a warm welcome. But despite South African students loving the country, China is not entirely happy with the African influx, writes Phillip de Wet for the Mail & Guardian.

As long as they remain students, those good conditions are likely to continue; students are explicitly considered future agents of ‘soft power’ for China on the African continent, analysts agree, and treating them well is part of a long-term strategy.

Should those students think about staying on in China as professionals, they may find the environment less conducive. Africans in China have been finding life increasingly difficult over the past seven years, and the current upheaval in the Chinese economy could spell trouble.
Full report on the Mail & Guardian site