Conceptualising Infrastructure Multinationals’ Provision: Case of Chinese IMNEs in Africa

The original idea of this study derives from conceptualising a framework of the bilateral development processes of China and Africa. Thus, the chapter begins with an attempt to formalise the broad concept of infrastructure MNEs with general features of companies involved in infrastructure provision based on the modes of IB analysis and applies aspects, of this to the discussion of Chinese FDI in the construction and ICT sectors in Africa. Chinese infrastructure MNEs expanding into Africa are serving to mediate between the needs and potentials of two differently-based and differently-phased processes of economic development. At the macro-level Chinese economic growth has generated notable surpluses of capital and foreign exchange, which are being leveraged to support, inter alia, the internationalisation of Chinese business. But aspects of this international expansion target policy objectives that have specific roots in the sustainability of China’s own growth and development. A very significant and familiar component of this is shortages of the energy and raw materials needed to secure continued industrial growth as a core of China’s development.