13 results on '"Ameyaw‐Brobbey, Thomas"'
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2. The media in China–Africa public relations: Assessing China's attractiveness beyond economic development assistance.
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Ameyaw‐Brobbey, Thomas
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INTERNATIONAL economic assistance , *AFRICA-China relations , *PUBLIC diplomacy , *PUBLIC relations , *PUBLIC opinion , *COLLEGE scholarships , *SCHOLARSHIP applications - Abstract
This work explores China's African public relations and image‐building effort, focusing on Nigeria. Thus, the paper's purpose is twofold: first, to investigate whether China's conduct of public diplomacy through its soft power resource—development assistance—has effectively shaped positive Nigerian public perception of China, and second, to determine the media's role in advancing China's public diplomacy in Nigeria. Specifically, it explores the interaction of economic development assistance, media, and public relations. I do this by comparing China's foreign direct investment (FDI) in Nigeria (2010–2019) with the public's perception of the FDI's influence on the Nigerian economy (2016 and 2020) and the media's role in shaping public support toward the investments. Utilizing a range of datasets, I find that Chinese economic investment alone is insufficient to substantially shape positive Nigerian public perception of China. Within a framework of mediated public diplomacy, I demonstrate that the Chinese image‐building effort in Nigeria would likely enhance when the country links economic investments with public relations to make the investments more visible through effective media representation. Related Articles: Ayhan, Kadir Jun, and Nancy Snow. 2021. "Introduction to the Special Issue—Global Korea Scholarship: Empirical Evaluation of a Non‐Western Scholarship Program from a Public Diplomacy Perspective." Politics & Policy 49(6): 1282–91. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12440. Hodzi, Obert, and John H. S. Åberg. 2020. "Introduction to the Special Issue: Strategic Deployment of the China Model in Africa." Politics & Policy 48(5): 804–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12378. Huijgh, Ellen. 2017. "Indonesia's 'Intermestic' Public Diplomacy: Features and Future." Politics & Policy 45(5): 762–92. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12221. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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3. Unholy alignment and boomerang civil conflicts: Examining how conflicts beget conflicts through external states support for rebels.
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Ameyaw-Brobbey, Thomas
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CIVIL war ,HARM (Ethics) ,LAKES ,COUNTERINSURGENCY - Abstract
This paper focuses on external state support for rebel movements by developing an analytical tool to explain how external support for rebels leads to civil conflict onset and intensification in the target state and how conflict reverses to the sponsoring state, engendering conflict diffusion and continuation. I present a two-fold argument that a cooperative relationship between external states and rebels triggers the remote causes of civil conflict, translating latent grievances into manifest conflict in the target state. Further, the resulting conflict has a boomerang effect. It has the potential to reverse to the sponsoring state. I do this by using a case studies method – cooperative relationships of governments of Sudan and Chad with each other's rebels vis-à-vis Sudan Civil War (2000–2005) and Chad Civil War (2005–2010) – to provide a detailed explanation of the framework and its hypotheses. The explanations I offer here may help us understand some African conflict dynamics for us to take some recent developments, for example, in the Great Lakes, more seriously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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4. IN A SECURITY DILEMMA: IS ASIA'S FUTURE IN EUROPE'S PAST?
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Ameyaw-Brobbey, Thomas
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China's economic growth and related assertiveness are causing significant changes in the Asia Pacific strategic environment, producing policy responses from the region's major powers, and gaining linkage with 1914 Europe. This article revisits the analogy, made in 2014, between the Asia Pacific today and Europe of 1914 to theoretically explain Asia Pacific's strategic environment vis-à-vis China's rise and the responses of four Asia Pacific powers—the United States, Australia, India, and Japan. Using the notion of "security dilemma," I argue that a perceived threat of China's newfound confidence expressed in military aggressions creates distrust, fear, and uncertainty in the Asia Pacific, resembling Germany and its ambitions in the first half of twentieth century Europe. However, the similarity does not necessarily mean that the two environments and periods would produce similar outcomes because the strategic conditions are different. Asia Pacific today is more constrained in alliances than twentieth century Europe. I conclude by critiquing the balance of power to propose a power-sharing mechanism in the region to ensure peace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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5. Examining the Interaction of Development Investment and the Media in China's Image-Building in Africa from below: A Case of Nigeria.
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Ameyaw-Brobbey, Thomas
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PUBLIC diplomacy , *INTERNATIONAL economic assistance , *INFRASTRUCTURE funds , *PUBLIC support , *INVESTMENT policy - Abstract
This article uses Nigeria to explore the interplay of China's economic investments and the media as image-building instruments of Nigerians' perception of China. Thus, the purpose is to investigate whether China's development assistance has shaped the desired outcome—Nigerian public support of China—and to explore the media's role in this process. How effective are China's economic and infrastructural investments as strategies for influencing a positive public image in Nigeria? How can visibility—the amount of media coverage and exposure—of China's investments in Nigeria shape favourable Nigerian public support? Utilising a range of datasets and a longitudinal analysis, I find that Chinese investments may improve Nigeria's economic growth and people's standard of living, but are insufficient to build a positive public image of China. However, China could create a long-lasting favourable public image from its investments if the programmes were supported with effective media representation that made them more visible through the public's news sources. I employed a qualitative research technique and rested the theoretical argument on mediated public diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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6. China's image-building in Africa: The intersection of the media and economic development investment in Mali.
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Ameyaw-Brobbey, Thomas
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ECONOMIC development , *PUBLIC opinion , *INTERNATIONAL economic assistance , *FORM perception , *PUBLIC relations - Abstract
Since the 2000s, China has deepened public relations in its engagement with Africa primarily through economic investment and assistance. The present work looks at China's African public relations and the mechanism that shapes public perception of China, focusing on Mali. Mali is not a major destination for Chinese investment, yet public perceptions of China appear to be uniquely positive. How may we explain this trajectory? The work undertakes a longitudinal examination, comparing China's economic developments in Mali (2010–20) with Malians' perception of China's influence on the Malian economy that shapes the general perception and attitude towards China (2010–20) and the media's role in this process. Some questions guide this study: how do Chinese economic activities in Mali shape Malians' perception of China? How does the media contribute (if any) to shaping Malian perception of China's developmental programmes? Employing a mixed research method and a range of datasets, I find that economic investment does not necessarily shape positive public perception of China in Mali. Instead, how the public receives information about economic investments shapes and enhances a positive perception of China in Mali. Consequently, China would substantially enhance its image-building effort when its foreign economic development assistance is linked with public relations, making economic programmes more visible through media representations. I based the theoretical discussion on the media agenda-setting framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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7. SYMMETRIC INTERESTS AND ATTENTION PATTERNS IN ASYMMETRY: Examining China–Kazakhstan Relations from a Non-external Security Perspective.
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Ameyaw-Brobbey, Thomas and Amable, Dennis Senam
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BELT & Road Initiative , *SECURITY management , *INTERPERSONAL confrontation - Abstract
This article uses the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to examine the asymmetric relationship between China and Kazakhstan under a proposed framework—symmetric interest. It breaks from the domination–submission, divergent stakes, interests, patterns, and misperception perspectives characterizing asymmetry to show how asymmetric relations in a non-external security context elucidate peaceful relations. Under what conditions do asymmetric relationships defy misperception and confrontation to produce peaceful cooperation? How is the BRI likely to manage China's asymmetric relationship with Kazakhstan? The study argues that asymmetric relations within domestic security and other non-external military security issue areas engender peaceful cooperation. This peaceful cooperation emerges because the stakes and interests of the parties become more symmetrical in absolute terms; thus managing misperceptions and associated confrontation. We propose a framework of symmetric interest and employ the cases of China and Kazakhstan to test the hypotheses and support the conclusion. Beyond providing an alternative perspective in the asymmetry literature, we lastly offer a discussion of the policy relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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8. THE U.S. WITHDRAWAL, TALIBAN TAKEOVER, AND ONTOLOGICAL (IN)SECURITY IN AFGHANISTAN.
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Ameyaw-Brobbey, Thomas
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ONTOLOGICAL security , *CITY dwellers , *AFGHANS , *POLITICAL science , *LIVING conditions - Abstract
Security discussions of the Taliban's second takeover of Afghanistan center on physical security threats, neglecting the ontological aspect related to how security entails the metaphysics of life—being, feeling alive, or having a sense of self. This article examines this ontological threat to the Afghan people to complement the security discussion and open up more avenues of dialog. I use ontological security to explain the Afghans' behavior toward the Taliban takeover and ask how does the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan pose a security threat to urban Afghans? Why are urbanite Afghans paranoiac about the Taliban presence to the extent that some choose to die by falling from a moving aircraft? I use the ontological security analytical framework and discursive approach to finding answers. I argue that the Taliban takeover creates ontological insecurity that threatens urban Afghans' sense of ordinary living or being in the world. Specifically, ontological insecurity creates significant and chronic uncertainties and dangers to Afghans. This is especially so regarding the urbanites with higher socioeconomic status, whose being in the world is threatened as their ordinary living conditions are likely to be contested by the Taliban. The contest is asymmetric, favoring the Taliban. Such uncertainty of existential conditions leads to mistrust of Urban Afghans' basic sense of safety and a misrecognition of their true identity. Thus, their actions and behaviors have been consequent attempts to respond to the anxieties and risks to their existential position. This work contributes to the ontological security literature, helping fill the gap in the security discussions in international relations and serves policy relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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9. A Micro-assessment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Realities on Small-Scale Vendors in Ghana: China as a Leveraging Resource.
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Ameyaw-Brobbey, Thomas and Amable, Dennis Senam
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COVID-19 , *COVID-19 pandemic , *BUSINESSPEOPLE , *INTERNATIONAL relations ,DEVELOPING countries - Abstract
Since the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, international relations (IR) literature on the pandemic's implication on global politics has generally increased, while studies on small businesses and human developmental consequences in the developing world have lagged. In this context, through a micro-level analysis, this article investigates the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic affects the economically bottom-class citizens and their businesses, focusing on small-scale vendors in Ghana. It utilises content analysis to examine 384 small-scale vendors in four cities/towns (Accra, Tema, Sunyani, Ho) in Ghana between August and October 2021. We show that the pandemic has negatively affected economic life and ordinary living conditions by increasing poverty among economically bottom-class citizens, likely to have dire long-term consequences nationally. Further, we contend that the small-scale vendors and entrepreneurs recognise leveraging the increasing Chinese global economic influence. Thus, China provides an exit point through which the people can navigate themselves out of the COVID-19 predicaments. Our study is novel for its first-level—individual—analysis of the impact of COVID-19 in the Ghanaian market space from an IR perspective. It also provides policy relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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10. A Soft Power Resource, Rationality and the Impact of Covid-19 on China's Influence on Africa: A Case of Ghana.
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Ameyaw-Brobbey, Thomas and Nunoo, Isaac
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SOFT power (Social sciences) , *POWER resources , *RATIONAL choice theory , *COVID-19 , *SATISFACTION - Abstract
China features significantly in the Covid-19 narrative for good and bad reasons. The purpose of this paper is to test, empirically, the assumption that Covid-19 would negatively influence perceptions of China in Ghana, due to its perceived relationship with the pandemic. We characterise Chinese manufactured products as soft power resources and analyse the role they play in addressing the personal needs and interests of Ghanaians and how they affect positive and negative perceptions of China amid the Covid-19 pandemic. We used a mixed research method and collected data from a sample size of 1,020 for analysis. We found that Ghanaians are rational actors who maximise the perceived gains of their actions in pursuit of their objectives. Thus, the self-interest and personal satisfaction Ghanaians gain through China's manufactured products outweigh the negative representation of China in the Covid-19 narrative, shaping a positive attitude in Ghana towards China. We situate the argument within rational choice theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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11. Understanding the Framework of Civil Conflicts and External Support for Insurgents in Africa South of the Sahara.
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Ameyaw-Brobbey, Thomas
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CIVIL war , *HISTORICAL source material - Abstract
Since independence in Africa south of the Sahara, deadly internal conflicts have wracked the region more than any other in the world. Some of these conflicts transcended national boundaries because external states became involved in supporting rebel movements. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to an understanding of this international dimension of civil conflict. It develops a framework—unholy alignment, referring to the cooperative relationship between states and rebels—to examine how external support leads to the onset and intensification of civil conflict. I argue that external state support augments rebels' capabilities to intensify violent demands that threaten the target government. I use data from secondary sources through historical process tracing and observation of congruence, and the case studies method, to explore three instances of Rwanda's cooperative relations with rebels between 1994 and 1999, to show how they shaped civil wars in the DRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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12. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Regime Fragility: Explaining China’s International Efforts at Solving Regime Insecurity
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AMEYAW-BROBBEY, Thomas
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International Relations ,China,Peace and Conflict,the Belt and Road Initiative,Regime Insecurity and Survival,Nationalist Emotions,Diversionary War ,Uluslararası İlişkiler ,Çin,barış ve çatışma,kemer ve yol girişimi,rejim güvensizliği ve hayatta kalma,milliyetçi duygular,saptırma savaşı - Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss China’s sources of regime insecurity, its impact on world peace and conflict and how the regime addresses these challenges. How does China’s regime insecurity affect international relations, peace and conflict and how is it responding to such challenge in order not to disturb international peace and cooperation? How do China’s public reactions affect international relations, conflict, peace and cooperation? It argues that China’s regime insecurity caused by strong nationalist emotions and domestic discontent is a potential source of impediment on world peace than its external strength. By using foreign policy initiative and primary sources, the paper shows that, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is one course of action the Chinese regime addresses its challenges. Specifically, China is strengthening regime security and external peace through foreign policy – providing for the international dimension of the domestic threat – by trying to decrease domestic discontent through securing international commercial activities with its BRI, to stem horizontal inequalities and regime insecurity. I base the theoretical argument on the diversionary war theory. The paper helps fill the gap in the discussion of China and international security which has been dominated by China’s rise in power capabilities., Bu çalışmanın amacı Çin’in rejim güvensizliği kaynaklarını, dünya barışı ve çatışması üzerindeki etkisini ve rejimin bu zorlukları nasıl ele aldığını tartışmaktır. Çin’in rejimdeki güvensizliği uluslararası ilişkileri, barışı ve çatışmayı nasıl etkiliyor ve uluslararası barış ve işbirliğini rahatsız etmemek için bu tür zorluklara nasıl yanıt veriyor? Çin’in kamuoyu tepkileri uluslararası ilişkileri, çatışmayı, barışı ve işbirliğini nasıl etkiliyor? Çin'in güçlü milliyetçi duyguların ve iç hoşnutsuzluğun neden olduğu rejim güvensizliğinin, dünya barışı üzerinde dış gücünden potansiyel bir engel kaynağı olduğunu savunuyor. Dış politika inisiyatifini ve birincil kaynakları kullanarak, çalışma, Kemer ve Yol Girişimi'nin (BRI) Çin rejiminin zorluklarını ele aldığı bir eylem biçimi olduğunu göstermektedir. Özellikle Çin, BRI ile uluslararası ticari faaliyetleri güvence altına alarak, yatay eşitsizlikleri ve rejimdeki güvensizliği ortadan kaldırmak amacıyla, iç tehdidin uluslararası boyutunu sağlayan dış politika yoluyla rejim güvenliğini ve dış barışı güçlendirmektedir. Teorik argümanı saptırma savaş teorisine dayandırıyorum. Bu makale, Çin'in güç yeteneklerindeki yükselişin egemen olduğu uluslararası güvenlik tartışması ve Çin'in tartışmasındaki boşluğu doldurmaya yardımcı oluyor.
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- 2020
13. A lost chance for what? COVID-19 and its repercussions on global public opinion of China’s development model and international leadership.
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Ameyaw-Brobbey, Thomas
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COVID-19 pandemic ,SOFT power (Social sciences) ,COVID-19 ,SCIENTIFIC literature ,LEADERSHIP ,PUBLIC opinion - Abstract
This paper gauges COVID-19’s effect on global public perception of China and the likely implications for China’s development model and international influence. How does COVID-19 affect China’s exercise of soft power and the international community’s appraisal of it? Using global perception data from the Pew Research Centre, the paper argues that COVID-19 is likely to have dire consequences on China’s soft power and international influence based on the soft power theory. Specifically, China lost a chance to present the attractiveness of its development model – Beijing Consensus – and establish credibility for global leadership due to the universal perception of the relationship between the pandemic and China despite the country’s international efforts. The paper concludes that this will validate people’s opinions about China and accelerate an already existing trend – unfavourable image. The paper serves as a new scientific contribution to the literature on soft power and foreign policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2021
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