中非民间交往中的华人酋长现象探究

Chinese Chiefs in Africa:An Analysis from the Perspective of China-Africa People-to-People Exchanges

非洲华人是中非民间交往和人文交流的重要参与者。近年来,一些华人因其对非洲社会经济发展贡献获封酋长称号。从20世纪80年代至今,至少有24位华人在非洲获封酋长,集中在西非国家。华人酋长主要从事工程建设和个体工商业,属于广义上的发展型酋长,具体可分为“基建酋长”“侨领酋长”“个人商业酋长”和“文教酋长”四大类型。华人获封酋长离不开他们对当地社会经济发展的突出贡献,但东道国酋长制的开放性和吸纳能力也同等重要。加纳和尼日利亚等国出现的“发展酋长”“海归酋长”以及“移民酋长”等新机制在吸纳外籍酋长方面发挥了关键作用。非洲社会对华人酋长的反应总体是积极的,但在履职状况、获封原因以及外来者身份等方面存在一些争议。华人酋长需平衡商业利益和公共利益,履行好社区服务和管理工作职责,并做好正面宣传,进而更好地促进中非人文交流。

Overseas Chinese in Africa have become important participants in promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and Africa.In recent years,some Chinese have been conferred chiefly titles in Africa for their contributions to local development.Using news and magazine reports from both domestic and foreign sources,this article reveals that since the 1980s,at least 24 Chinese chiefs have been appointed in Africa-all in West African countries.Chinese chiefs are mainly engaged in infrastructure,commerce,and industry,and can be broadly defined as"developmental"chiefs.There are four major types of Chinese chiefs:"infrastructure chiefs","community leader chiefs","individual businessperson chiefs"and"cultural and educational chiefs".Two important reasons explain this recent phenomenon.First,the Chinese receive chiefly titles due to their outstanding contribution to local socioeconomic development.Second,the openness and absorptive capacity of the host country's chieftaincy system are equally important.The emergence of new mechanisms such as"developmental chiefs","returnee chiefs"and"diaspora chiefs"in countries such as Ghana and Nigeria has played a key role in absorbing foreign chiefs.The overall response of the African society to Chinese chiefs has been positive,but there are some criticisms about their performance,reasons for being appointed,and their status as outsiders.Therefore,it is critical for Chinese chiefs to balance"business interests"and"community interests"and continue to invest in community service and sustainable development so that they can better contribute to China-Africa people-to-people and cultural exchanges.