The Africa-China Reporting Project and Inkyfada invite all journalists from Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Libya to submit proposals to attend a journalism training workshop in Tunis Retour vers les opportunités

The Africa-China Reporting Project at Wits Journalism and Inkyfada based in Tunis invite all journalists from Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Libya to submit proposals to attend a journalism training workshop in Tunis during the week of 7 October 2019. The workshop will focus on practical investigative techniques and skills, as well as explore China’s role in Africa and specific North African countries. 

The workshop will feature expert trainers assembled by the Africa-China Reporting Project and Inkyfada, and will include training sessions on North African countries’ relations with China, current trends and misunderstandings; multimedia journalism, online tools and resources; data journalism and data visualisation, visual storytelling and audience engagement; and cyber security, among other topics. The workshop will also include engagement with and supervision of specific China-North Africa investigations to be undertaken by the participating journalists after the workshop for which they will receive reporting grants.  

 Journalists are required to include a specific North Africa-China investigation in their applications; see how to apply and potential investigation topics below.    

Background: North Africa and China  

The North African region is of great geopolitical and economic importance to China, although cultural and people-to-people interactions are still limited. China’s trade and investment links with the Arab world are far larger than that with sub-Saharan Africa, and North Africa appears more closely connected to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a global trans-regional interconnectivity drive. 

Similar to the rest of the African continent, China’s trade relations with North African countries are largely characterised by imports of resources and exports of low-value products, in particular manufactured goods but also various consumer goods, weapons and cars. This has prompted concerns about a negative impact on local industries, and in response China has in recent years encouraged investments in manufacturing in North Africa as well as free trade and industrial zones such as Morocco’s Mohamed VI Tangier Tech City and the China-Egypt Suez Economic and Trade Coation Zone. 

Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) in North Africa has expanded rapidly in recent years. North African countries have signed up to participate in the BRI, and this is expected to increase their economic links with Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. China has undertaken significant infrastructure projects in North Africa such as the Mohammed VI Bridge in Morocco, the East-West Highway and Africa’s longest railway tunnel in Algeria, and Egypt’s new administrative capital. 

Good relations with Arab countries and the revival of Chinese-Muslim friendship via the BRI and nostalgia for the ancient Silk Road are of much value to China, yet cultural relations and public diplomacy are much less developed and elaborate than with Africa-China relations.