Chinese Workers in Ethiopia Caught Between Remaining and Returning

Ever since Beijing has sought to fuel domestic growth through Chinese-led development overseas—first under the aegis of Jiang Zemin’s Going Out Policy and more recently as part of Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative—thousands of Chinese have moved overseas for work. Africa has been one of the destinations of Chinese companies and their expatriate staff. Although we have learned a great deal about China’s mega-projects across the African continent, little is known about the certified engineers and experienced builders who carry them out. What brings them to Africa? And, more importantly, what makes them stay for years on end, even if they wish to return to China? In this article I zoom in on the lives of Chinese men employed in Ethiopia’s construction industry to show how three decades of domestic growth in China has pushed workers overseas, while jeopardizing their return. Workers’ lives are marked by double displacement. They are not only isolated from local African communities through a dormitory labour regime that controls their time and limits their mobility, but also, more importantly, they are displaced from social life in China. Domestic development has at once increased aspirations and made them harder to obtain, especially for men, who are expected to fulfill the promise of upward social mobility for themselves and their families. In order to realize aspirations and meet social expectations related to social reproduction, geographic mobility has become a necessity for men who cannot rely on family wealth or connections, forcing them into a state of suspension.

埃塞俄比亚的中国工人：驻留与归国之间的困局

关键词: 中国；非洲；流动；劳工；家庭；归国；悬浮。

自从北京开始借助于中国人所带领的海外开发来推动国内经济增长以来——最初有江泽民“走出去”政策的扶持，最近又成为习近平“一带一路”战略的一部分——已经有成千上万的中国人移居海外进行务工活动。非洲已经成为中国企业及其驻外员工的终点站之一。 尽管我们对于中国在非洲大陆建造的超级工程已经相当了解，但是对于这些工程背后的执证工程师和饱经风雨的建造者我们却知之甚少。 是什么促成他们来到非洲？而且，更为重要的是，是什么促使他们即使是想要回国，也会长年累月留在非洲？ 本文特别关注了埃塞俄比亚建筑行业中的中国男性的生活，表明中国三十多年来的国内经济增长是如何将工人推向海外然而又阻碍了他们的归国。 工人的生活显示出双重的异位。宿舍-劳动体制控制着他们的时间也限制了他们的流动，他们不仅与本地非洲社区隔绝，而且更为重要的是，他们与中国的社会生活也发生了错位。特别是对于承担着通过向上社会流动以造福自身和家庭的期望的男性来说，国内的经济发展在提升了他们的抱负的同时，也使得这些抱负更加难以实现。为实现这些抱负并满足跟社会再生产相联系的社会期待，对于那些无法依赖家庭财富或者社会关系的男性来说，流动就成为一种必要，迫使他们进入一种悬置状态。

Translated from English by Li Guo